Already facing manslaughter charges in the deadly “Last” shooting, movie armorer and Bullhead City resident Hannah Gutierrez Reed appeared in court on Wednesday to face an additional felony charge of tampering with evidence.

In a brief virtual courtroom, a judge told Gutierrez Reed that she now faces two criminal charges, each serving 18 months in prison. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for next month.

The 25-year-old arms dealer is the sole surviving defendant in a difficult prosecution in New Mexico for alleged misconduct on a movie set. During a scene rehearsal on October 21, 2021, actor Alec Baldwin pulled the hammer of a Colt .45 and the gun fired, killing cinema industry rising star cinematographer Halina Hutchins, 42.

A New Mexico special counsel last month accused director Gutierrez Reed of drinking and smoking marijuana after hours while filming a western.

They argue that she was probably hungover on the fatal day when Ms. Baldwin’s gun fired during a rehearsal at the old wooden church of Bonanza Creek Ranch, a sprawling film location south of Santa Fe. Her lawyers have contested the allegations.

In court filings, prosecutors allege that after the tragedy, Gutierrez Reed was aware of scrutiny over his handling of weapons on set, so he gave “a small bag of cocaine” to another would-be witness in the case.

In a June 22 filing, Kari T. Morrissey explained the tampering charges, saying, “Defendant transferred drugs to others with intent to prevent his arrest, prosecution, and conviction.”

No witnesses have been identified.

Wednesday’s hearing was tested when Morrissey asked a judge to revoke Gutierrez Reid’s pretrial release conditions, including the ability to keep a weapon, due to threats he received during the headlined mass shooting.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer of the First Judicial District of New Mexico has allowed Gutierrez Reid to carry a gun in his Arizona home.

During the hearing, Morrissey asked the judge to cancel the terms. Morrissey said he had information that Gutierrez Reed was “suffering from a serious substance abuse problem” and called for a random drug test for Gutierrez Reed.

Gutierrez Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, vehemently disagreed. Bowles said he had no idea what Morrissey was talking about, telling the judge that Morrissey had not provided any information to support such claims.

Sommer shut down Morrissey’s demands, calling it an “ambush” on Bowles and Gutierrez Reid.

The case is plagued by various missteps by prosecutors and law enforcement.

Baldwin was charged with manslaughter in late January. In April, Morrissey and her legal partner Jason J. Lewis dropped criminal charges against Baldwin, citing new information about the case.

Another original defendant, David Halls, agreed to a plea bargain. A film industry veteran, he pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a weapon and received a six-month suspended sentence.

Morrissey and Lewis took over the case in April after the original two prosecutors were forced to resign.

The special counsel focused on Gutierrez Reed.

“Her reckless failure resulted in the meaningless death of another human being,” Morrissey said in the filing. “All Gutierrez had to do was make sure she swung and rattled every bullet before putting it in the gun. She failed and killed a man.”

To further complicate matters, Mr. Bowles recently released an email in which a former investigator who assisted the prosecution harshly criticized the Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputy’s handling of the initial investigation.

Former investigator Robert Schilling emailed Morrissey and another attorney in her firm late last month, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwis. Schilling clearly intended to include Lewis, but he sent him to Bowles instead.

“The conduct of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office during and after the initial investigation is still reprehensible and unprofessional,” Schilling wrote in an email. “I am not a more skilled investigator than I or 200 who can/can clean up the mess that arrived at your office in October 2022 (one year after the first incident… unforgivable).”

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza declined to comment on Mr. Schilling’s critical comments.

Defendant spoke only once during Wednesday’s hearing. When Somer asked if she wanted to be called Gutierrez or Gutierrez Reed, she replied that she was fine with Gutierrez.

The special counsel said it was investigating new information and could still indict Baldwin.

People familiar with the matter, who are not authorized to speak publicly, told the Los Angeles Times that prosecutors learned that the prop gun used by Baldwin had been modified before it was turned over to the “Last” set.

Two of the experts said the gun’s “hammer and shear” mechanism appears to have been modified, which may have affected the firing mechanism and made it easier to fire. A scenario like this could support Baldwin’s claim that he never pulled the trigger.

The bullet passed through Hutchins’ chest and lodged in the shoulder of film director Joel Souza, who recovered from his wounds.

FBI ballistics experts also tested the weapon. This weapon is a replica of a vintage .45 Colt single-action revolver made by weapons maker Pietta. However, the July 26, 2022 FBI report does not appear to mention any significant modifications to the gun.

The producers of “Lust” are determined to complete the story of Baldwin’s fictional 1880s Kansas outlaw Harland Rust. They say the film will be a tribute to Hutchins.

They moved production to Montana, where filming wrapped earlier this spring.

Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, agreed last fall to waive wrongful death lawsuits against Baldwin and other “Lust” producers. As part of the proposed settlement, Hutchins became the executive producer of the film.