Judge denies bail for jailed Modesto gun seller

A federal judge Friday denied setting a bail amount for a Modesto gun shop owner arrested Thursday on suspicion of selling guns illegally to undercover agents.

Robert John Ronning, 42, of Salida was being held at the Sacramento County Jail on Friday night and he is expected to remain there at least until next week, his defense attorney Adam Stewart said.

He said Ronning appeared in federal court in Sacramento on Friday afternoon. Stewart plans to argue for his client's release on bail again next week.

Ronning, 42, was arrested on suspicion of illegal gun sales, including the unlawful transfers of unregistered gun silencers and a machine gun, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Sacramento.

"These charges are a huge surprise to him," Stewart said. "He's well supportive of local law enforcement."

He asked the public to reserve judgment of his client until the facts can be demonstrated in court. Stewart also said they don't know whether someone else at the business sold the guns to the undercover agents.

Ronning is a federal firearms licensee and owner of Ronning Arms Inc. in the 2000 block of Yosemite Boulevard, just west of El Vista Avenue in east Modesto.

Federal prosecutors said Ronning sold two gun silencers, seven assault weapons and a machine gun to undercover agents and others posing as Mexican citizens without identification at the Yosemite Boulevard business.

On Thursday, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives served search warrants at the business and Ronning's home, Stewart said.

He said the agents seized legally-registered guns that belong to Ronning and his wife. He declined to say what type of guns were seized.

The agents also took a copy of Ronning's license to sell firearms. Stewart said nothing else was seized in the searches.

He said Ronning's license is still effective, and the gun shop still has the authority to do business. The gun shop, however, remained closed Friday afternoon.

Rob Nielsen, a manager of Barnwood Arms gun shop in Ripon, said he has never heard of a licensed gun dealer in the Modesto area arrested for selling weapons illegally until now.

He said the employees at the Ripon business have never been propositioned to conduct an illegal sale before, so he doesn't understand how this could've happened.

"This just seems so weird to us," Nielsen said. "(Ronning) has always been a straight shooter."

Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or 578-2394.