Four convicted of racketeering, organized crime in Denver-area crime ring

Four people connected to a metro-area crime ring have been convicted and sentenced, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

The foursome was responsible for 98 criminal cases, beginning in November of 2019, in Aurora, Denver, Arapahoe County, Arvada, Douglas County, Lone Tree, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Broomfield, Erie, Boulder, Boulder County, and Brighton, the sheriff’s office said in a Thursday news release. They pleaded guilty in the 18th Judicial District to crimes associated with racketeering and organized crime.

An investigation began on Nov. 4, 2020, when deputies spotted a stolen 2017 Kia leaving the area of Castle Pines Parkway and Shoreham Drive at a high speed, the release said. The Kia was found abandoned at Interstate 25 and Orchard Road, and evidence in the vehicle led to an extensive investigation involving stolen cars, vehicle trespasses, theft, identity theft, and numerous other crimes.

The four — two men and two women — range in age from 25 to 37. They stole cars and broke into vehicles to steal credit and debit cards, which they used to purchase gift cards and goods. Miscellaneous stolen items were fenced.

Evidence used in the case revealed that the suspects “often mocked alerts warning people to secure their belongings, and documented their collective efforts to buy gift cards, how much cash they had, and the firearms they stole,” the release said.

The investigation was carried out by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Broomfield Police Department, and the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Prison sentences handed down ranged from 18 years, for a pattern of racketeering and Colorado Organized Crime Control Act violations, to six years for criminal trespass and aggravated motor vehicle theft. All four defendants entered guilty pleas in their cases.

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