A New York City man who was found not guilty of murdering a Biddeford man has agreed to be held pending trial on federal firearms charges.

Timothy Ortiz was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges on June 25 after a York County jury decided he had acted in self-defense in shooting and killing Jonathan Methot in 2016 in Biddeford in a dispute over a drug deal. He was due to be released on June 27 but instead was arrested by federal authorities, who have charged him with being a felon in possession of a handgun. Ortiz was convicted in early 2016 on aggravated sex trafficking and drug furnishing charges and federal authorities and was barred from possession guns, but in the criminal complaint, federal law enforcement agents cited repeated instances of him having a handgun in addition to the Methot shooting.

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted on the federal charges.

On Monday, Ortiz waived his right to a detention hearing and agreed to be held until his trial. No trial date has been set.


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