Federal judge considers bail for downtown drug ring suspects

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Attorneys for some of the men accused of operating in a downtown Austin drug ring were back in court Wednesday.

Steve Yassine faces drug trafficking, weapons and money laundering charges. A judge denied bail Tuesday, but on Wednesday agreed to reconsider.

"Just because you have the most indictments doesn't mean you're the most guilty,” Steve Orr, Steve Yassine’s attorney said. “You could still be completely innocent. Just because the government accuses somebody of something doesn't mean they did it."

Judge Dennis Green will give his decision on Yassine's bail at a hearing Monday. The judge also denied bail to Edgar Orsini, who is charged with cocaine distribution, despite his attorney’s pleas that Orsini had turned a corner in his life.

Defendant Karim Faiq can get out of jail if he posts 10 percent of his $25,000 bail. Faiq is a cab driver who prosecutors say conspired to traffic cocaine.

Judge Green is still reviewing the charges against Nizar Hakiki to determine whether to grant him bail.

These men are just a few of the people charged after FBI and IRS agents raided several downtown Austin bars last week.

All were operated by the Yassine family. Authorities say the Yassines used the bars to launder money and run a drug ring.

Mike Yassine, the founder of Yassine Enterprises, is a suspect in the cold case murder of another Austin club owner, police confirmed Wednesday.