STATE
Defense attorney to remain jailed in child abuse material case
Judge says Brian Pori tried to travel to Mexico, has a 'desire to flee'
Published
Modified
A longtime sa国际传媒官网网页入口 defense attorney remains jailed after a U.S. magistrate judge said he attempted to travel to Mexico City while under investigation for possession of child pornography.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Damian Martinez concluded lawyer Brian Pori, 65, was a flight risk and a danger to the community if released pending trial on the federal pornography charge filed by the FBI on May 26.
Federal authorities, searching Pori鈥檚 laptop and cellphone for possible evidence of drug trafficking, discovered more than 2,500 images of minors, Martinez stated. The investigation was spurred by a pair of eyeglasses Pori attempted to take to a client at the Cibola County Correctional Facility near Milan on March 11.
Sewn inside the glasses case allegedly was a stash of suboxone, an opioid used to treat addiction. Pori said he didn鈥檛 know the drug was in the case鈥檚 lining and believes he was conned by the client鈥檚 family, who asked that the glasses be delivered.
An initial state drug charge against Pori was dropped, but the incident was referred to the FBI for further inquiry. No drug-related charges have emerged from the investigation.
Pori was arrested on the pornography charge in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 22, court records show, and was returned to New Mexico.
After a one-hour hearing in Las Cruces on Tuesday, Martinez stated that based on a 鈥減reponderance of the evidence 鈥� no conditions (of release pending trial) could be crafted that would reasonably assure the (defendant鈥檚) appearance.鈥�
Moreover, the judge wrote in a detention directive that Pori 鈥渋n late May 2026 flew to Mexico City and, prior to departure, canceled his return flight. When confronted by Mexican officials concerning his return he misled the officials concerning his return.鈥�
When officials denied him entry to Mexico, Pori stated he 鈥渨ould book another flight and go back to Mexico the next day,鈥� the judge鈥檚 written directive states.
鈥淭his, combined with his disclosure to (federal) pretrial services that he rents a home in Mexico City, and the previously mentioned factors, leads me to believe by a preponderance of the evidence that no conditions would reasonably assure (Pori鈥檚) appearance, as he has a desire to flee the District,鈥� Martinez stated.
Court records show the judge asked pretrial services officials to verify Pori鈥檚 address in Mexico City, but the hearing notes stated, 鈥淧retrial was unable to verify address.鈥�
The judge also wrote that Mexican authorities found what they believed to be 鈥渃hild sexual abuse material.鈥� No further details were provided.
Pori could still appeal the detention decision to the district court.
His court-appointed attorney, Damian Rasmussen of El Paso, had no immediate comment when reached by the Journal on Wednesday.
Pori, a private defense attorney of 38 years and former federal assistant public defender, has said he was weeks away from retirement at the time of his arrest at the Cibola County prison.
