Colorado

10 arrested, charged with drug trafficking and organized crime in year-long Denver, Aurora operation

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. – Ten alleged meth and cocaine dealers face organized crime and racketeering charges after their arrests following a year-long investigation in Denver and Aurora.

The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced the arrests of the ten people Wednesday. All face felony charges that include drug distribution, racketeering and conspiracy charges relating to their alleged violations of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.

The DA’s Office says the operation involved wiretaps and undercover operations and was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration OCDETF Strike Force Group.

The alleged dealers were targeted on the street level, but some were also dealing out of bars and food trucks.

The 10 people arrested were indicted late last month, the DA’s Office said, and officers from various local and federal agencies performed search warrants and made arrests earlier this month.

The list of people arrested and their charges are as follows (per the DA’s Office). Their mugshots in the image above correlate with the numbers:

  1. Alberto Morales-Ramirez, 39, of Aurora, who faces racketeering and conspiracy charges under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, 10 counts of distributing a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance;
  2. Armando Arellano-Rebollar, 23, of Aurora is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and two counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance;
  3. Ciriaco Arellano-Rebollar, 28, of Denver who faces racketeering and conspiracy charges under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, two counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance;
  4. Hugo Ruiz-Hernandez, 52, of Aurora, who faces racketeering and conspiracy charges under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, a count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute;
  5. Jose Gama-Barron, 37, of Aurora who faces racketeering and conspiracy charges under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, five counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance;
  6. Juan Chevere-Chevere, 31, of Aurora who is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
  7. Nayeli Madrigal-Estrada, 28, of Denver who faces racketeering and conspiracy charges under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, six counts of conspiracy to distribute and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance;
  8. Oscar Fierro, 36, of Arvada is charged with distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance;
  9. Rafael Barrios-Martinez,36 is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance;
  10. Raul Arellano-Rebollar, 25, of Denver is charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance;
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Donald Trump’s criticism of union leader on Twitter leads to question of his social media influence

DENVER — President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday night to slam the Indiana union leader who criticized him over what he called the “dog and pony show” deal to keep hundreds of Carrier Corporation jobs from moving to Mexico.

“Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers,” Trump tweeted. Jones represents union members who work at Carrier’s Indianapolis plant.

He sent another tweet minutes later saying the union would have kept the jobs in Indiana if the union “was any good” and that it should “spend more time working-less time talking.”

Jones told The Washington Post Tuesday that Trump “lied his ass off” about the deal, which has been in the making for months.

Trump originally said his deal, which gives the company a $7 million tax break from Indiana over the next 10 years, would save 1,100 jobs. But Jones said the truth was that only 730 jobs were saved and that more than 1,200 were still going to Mexico.

OTHER TRUMP BUSINESS TWEETS THAT HAD EFFECTS

He also previously, and falsely, accused Ford Motor Company of moving to Mexico, though it said it was only planning to move a single production line.

The president-elect’s recent business-related tweets have led many to question their effects on deals in the business world.

On Dec. 6, Trump claimed that a Boeing contract to build updated Air Force One planes would cost “more than $4 billion,” to which he added, “Cancel order!”

He tweeted the message less than a half-hour after a Chicago Tribune story posted online in which Boeing’s CEO cast doubts on Trump’s international business plans.

Boeing stock temporarily lost about $1 billion in value, though it had recovered to values similar to the day’s opening by the end of trading.

The $4 billion value is also in doubt, as Boeing confirmed it was under a $170 million contract to aid in building the new aircraft. A government spokesperson said the final details of the cost of the deal were still being developed.

Trump also tweeted in the past week about a “deal” with Japan-based SoftBank that he says is a $50 billion investment and he says will bring 50,000 jobs to the U.S. But that tweet, too, has had holes poked in it.

The $50 billion is part of a previously-announced investment by the company, who said previously that it was investing $100 billion in worldwide tech companies, according to the New York Times. Some of the fund also comes from Saudi Arabia, and Foxxconn – a Taiwan-based technology company – is also said to be involved in the deal.

TRUMP ACCESSIBLE IN NEW WAYS

Trump has arguably been the among the most-effective Twitter users, especially among politicians.

He has 17 million followers on the social networking site, though the true number of active users remains unknown.

He also, at times, is extremely accessible for a major politician via the network. He often manually retweets regular users, and has said he uses Twitter to get “important things” out “much faster than a press release,” as he told NBC Tuesday.

But he has not held a news conference in months, so traditional news outlets have at times been forced to rely on his social media feeds and surrogates for information directly from the source.

President Barack Obama has also held fewer news conferences toward the end of his presidency. And though he was the first president to have a Twitter account, he rarely interacts with the public like Trump.

White House access has decreased steadily over the years. The public used to be able to walk right up to the White House doors, but as security concerns grew over the years, they were pushed back to the White House front lawn.

Perimeters were installed over the years, and the Secret Service started guarding the home at one point in the late 1800s. They started protecting the president after President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, according to research by The Washington Post.

The military protected the White House during the two world wars, and gates to the White House were closed to the public for good during World War II.

Eventually, traffic along Pennsylvania Avenue was closed altogether after a series of security breaches during Bill Clinton’s first term and the Oklahoma City bombing.

Tours are still allowed, but have been restricted since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington.

Now, people going on tours of the president’s home must go through Congress in order to arrange one.

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Suspect in woman, boy’s kidnapping that set off Amber Alert is captured in Boulder; victims OK

AURORA, Colo. – The man accused of setting off an Amber Alert after he allegedly kidnapped a woman and her son was captured by law enforcement authorities Wednesday afternoon in Boulder, and the woman and her son are OK.

Police say Brenda Sanchez and her young son, Ivan, were kidnapped at gunpoint from a home in Denver around 8:35 a.m. but did not say from where in Denver. They said the incident was called in by Sanchez’s sister.

The Aurora Police Department called the situation an Amber Alert in an 11:27 a.m. post on social media, though the official Amber Alert was not issued until just before 1:30 p.m.

Police say the suspect is Sergio Martinez, 21, who is described as a Hispanic male who is 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds with a goatee and short brown hair.

Court records show Martinez has prior driving under the influence convictions and a robbery conviction. He was charged in 2012 for kidnapping with intent to commit sexual assault, but the charges were dismissed by the district attorney.

He was most-recently arrested by Fort Morgan police on Oct. 29 on kidnapping, assault and false imprisonment charges. He pleaded guilty to third-degree assault charges in exchange for the other charges being dismissed.

The department did say they had talked with family members of Sanchez’s at a home in Aurora Wednesday morning.

While they were talking with them, officers received reports of a hit-and-run crash at Smoky Hill and South Buckley involving a white 2013 Subaru Legacy, with Colorado plate QIZ-384, which is registered to the suspect.

Aurora police said at 2:25 p.m. the vehicle was located in Boulder and Martinez was taken into custody. They said both Sanchez and Ivan are OK and that the investigation remains ongoing. The Amber Alert was canceled shortly afterward.

Denver7’s news partners at the Boulder Daily Camera said the vehicle was found near the Wendy’s on Baseline.

Aurora police say Sanchez was medically evaluated for minor injuries, but Ivan had no injuries.

Crystal McCoy, the spokeswoman for APD, said Sanchez and Martinez used to be in a relationship but had broken up. Martinez is not Ivan’s biological father, and it’s still unclear what led up to the kidnapping.

McCoy said Martinez ran about 100 yards from police before he was caught in Boulder. She said officers are still looking for the weapon allegedly involved in the kidnapping and that charges won’t be determined until Wednesday night or Thursday morning. She also said Aurora police’s fugitive team caught the suspect.

Statewide Amber Alert

Two hours after police first tweeted about the Amber Alert, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sent out a statewide alert.

“There were a number of different incidents taking place, multiple agencies — there was a lot of moving parts associated with this case,” said Susan Medina a spokesperson for CBI.

Denver7 asked Medina why it took several hours for CBI to send out the alert.

“I know time is of the essence, but at the same time when you use an Amber Alert system that blasts statewide it is critical that, that information is fully vetted,” she said.

Medina explained that in order for an Amber Alert to be sent out, a law enforcement agency must contact CBI.

The case also must meet three specific requirements: the child has to be under 18, be in immediate danger of serious injury, and have enough descriptive information — like a car or license plate number — to send out.

“We have to ensure that the information is correct,” said Medina.

In this case, she said it’s still unclear if any mistakes were made or if the alert could have been pushed out sooner.

“It’s a little too early to say specifically in this one, but we’re going to bring everybody to the table and we’re going to discuss this in the future,” said Medina.

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Report: Colorado’s VA hospitals got 2 and 3-star ratings out of 5 in internal VA reports

AURORA, Colo. – Colorado’s two Veterans Affairs medical centers received two and three stars out of five in a secret rating system the Department of Veterans Affairs has in place.

USA Today on Wednesday published the never-before-see star ratings Wednesday after obtaining the internal documents. Five stars were assigned to the best hospitals, while one star was given to the worst.

The documents show Denver’s VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System was given two stars and the Grand Junction VA Medical Center was given three stars in the most-recent reports available for both hospitals, from the fourth quarter of 2015.

Data from the second quarter of 2016 was released to USA Today for centers rated with either one or five stars, but centers that got two, three, or four-star reviews saw no new data released.

Many of the lowest-performing centers, according to the internal ratings, were centered in Texas and Tennessee; the Dallas, El Paso, Nashville, Memphis and Murfreesboro centers all received one-star ratings in the second quarter of 2016. The much-discussed Phoenix VA also received one star.

Most of the top-performing centers that received five stars were situated in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, according to the data.

USA Today says the ratings are determined by “dozens of factors” that include death and infection rates, wait times and complications suffered by patients that could have been avoided.

VA Undersecretary for Health David Shulking told the paper the rankings are considered an “internal improvement tool.”

“My concern is that veterans are going to see that their hospital is a ‘one’ in our star system, assume that’s bad quality and veterans that need care are not going to get care,” he told USA Today. “And they’re going to stay away from hospitals and that’s going to hurt people.”

The VA said 120 of 146 hospitals rated on the scale have shown improvement since July 2015, though Shulking declined to specify which hadn’t aside from the one-star Detroit VA.

Veterans Affairs has been closely scrutinized across the country because of wait times and patient deaths, among other things.

Colorado’s specifically have also come under fire over the past two years.

A September federal report found the department’s lack of oversight and “gross mismanagement” in Aurora added hundreds of millions in costs to the new hospital.

And just last month, a VA employee who blew the whistle to Congress that the department was using unauthorized wait lists for mental health care resigned after alleged retaliation.

A new billboard has gone up in Denver that says, “VA is Lying, Veterans are Dying.”

Last year, the Grand Junction center stopped performing several surgeries and procedures after two patients died over a nine-month period and several other patients suffered complications.

Shulkin told USA Today that veterans shouldn’t have to wait for care, and that the number of them waiting for more than a month for care has dropped from nearly 60,000 to 600 since he took over the department in July 2015.

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Report: Aurora gamer was over legal limit after taking 8 pints of blood following deadly crash

AURORA, Colo. – The professional gamer who died along with a passenger in an October crash was still well over the legal driving limit even after receiving more than eight pints worth of blood and plasma transfusions.

The Aurora Police Department on Tuesday released their final report on the crash that killed 24-year-old Phillip Klemenov, of Aurora, and 27-year-old Marcelous Johnson, of Colorado Springs, which happened early Oct. 2.

The report says Klemenov was driving the Infiniti G35 that morning, while Johnson and Klemenov’s girlfriend, 18-year-old Adrianna Lemus, were passengers.

Lemus told investigators the three had been drinking “all evening and into the morning” at various places in Denver before the crash, which happened on Florida Avenue near South Dayton Street.

The crash report says Klemenov was driving at 73.6 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone when he crashed, going up a curb and hitting several trees and a light pole as it rolled over. Several of the trees went through the front of the cabin, where Klemenov and Johnson were seated.

The report says Johnson died at the scene. Klemenov was taken to a Denver-area hospital.

Just before 4 a.m. – about an hour after the crash and after Klemenov had been given eight units of blood and four units of plasma – a blood draw was performed.

It showed Klemenov’s blood alcohol content level at that time was 0.139 percent – well over the 0.08 percent legal limit.

The report says Klemenov would have been charged with driving under the influence had he survived, but he died at the hospital.

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Judge grants injunction, seals evidence in sex tape case reportedly involving Broncos’ Von Miller

DENVER – A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction barring a woman from releasing a sex tape purportedly involving Denver Broncos star linebacker Von Miller.

Clerks at the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed to Denver7 judges granted a preliminary injunction and motion to seal evidence in the case, which involves a sex tape a woman named Elizabeth Ruiz made with “John Doe,” whom TMZ and The Smoking Gun have said is Miller.

The orders mean Ruiz will have to turn over the original video and any copies made within three days and that she and other plaintiffs in the case will be barred from ever showing the video while the injunction is in place. Evidence in the case will also remain sealed.

Attorneys for Doe — who include known Miller lawyers and associates Andrew Kim, Matthew Johnson and Martin Singer – filed the motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on the video Nov. 7. A permanent restraining order was also sought in that filing.

A judge had already granted the temporary restraining order barring the video’s release and ordered the video be held in the court’s possession while things were sorted out, but the preliminary injunction is a less-temporary order.

The case went to court after Ruiz’s legal team requested “Doe” pay $2.5 million to prevent the release of the video, which was apparently made while both were on a trip in Cancun in June.

The injunction was sought in regards to a section of California’s Civil Code that bars people from releasing recordings that a party would have had “a reasonable expectation that the material would remain private” or “exposes…the other person engaging in an act of intercourse…”

Neither Miller, nor his lawyers or associates have commented on the case, nor have they confirmed that Miller is indeed “John Doe.”

There are no pending court dates on the docket following Tuesday’s hearings, but Denver7 will update this story with any new information.

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El Paso County Sheriff releases facial reconstruction of John Doe found dead in 1986 in hopes of ID

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. – The county sheriff’s office on Tuesday released images of a new reconstruction of the head and face of a man whose remains were found near Midway Ranch in 1986.

The man’s facial reconstruction is the second done since his remains were found; the first reconstruction was finished in 1987.

The sheriff’s office says the remains were found four miles west of I-25 near Midway Ranch on Nov. 3, 1986 just after 11 a.m.

The man, who is referred to as “John Doe” in the report because he has never been identified, was wearing Calvin Klein blue jeans size 30/33, a blue-green sweatshirt and a brown leather belt.

Forensic investigators have found the man was white, between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-7 tall and between 30 and 40 years old. He had a “deep overbite,” according to the sheriff’s office

The sheriff’s office said investigators determined his remains had been where they were found for between one and four years when they were discovered. It says investigators have searched through missing persons reports from across the state and never identified the man.

Anyone who thinks they may have information that could lead to the man’s identification is asked to call El Paso County Detective Jeff Nohr at 719-520-7225.

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2 Colorado electors file suit in hopes of not voting for Clinton as anti-Trump movement continues

DENVER – The long-shot attempt by two of Colorado’s Electoral College voters to put someone in the White House not named Donald Trump grew short legs Tuesday when the electors filed a lawsuit against Colorado’s secretary of state, governor and attorney general saying they shouldn’t have to vote for Hillary Clinton as state law requires.

Robert Nemanich, of Colorado Springs, and Polly Baca, a former state senator from Denver, filed the suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Colorado after a week of posturing – saying they would work with other electors from across the country to make someone other than Trump president. Continue reading

Highlands Ranch woman bought gun before picking up sons; she died of self-inflicted gunshot wound

LONE TREE, Colo. – The woman found dead in a van Wednesday along with her two young sons bought a new gun an hour before she picked her sons up from school on Tuesday, and the gun was used in their deaths.

Lone Tree police spokesman Tim Beals said Jennifer Laber, 38, bought a Glock 9mm around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and picked her sons, aged 5 and 3, up from school about an hour later. They were taken out of school before the normal dismissal time. Continue reading

Prosecutors will seek death penalty for man accused of raping ex, killing young son in Arapahoe Co.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. – Prosecutors for the 18th Judicial District will seek the death penalty for the man accused of stabbing his 6-year-old son to death in February.

District Attorney George Brauchler announced his intent to seek execution for Brandon Johnson, 27, at a preliminary hearing in Johnson’s case Friday morning.

In early February, Johnson allegedly raped his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his younger child before he allegedly stabbed his 6-year-old son in the neck, killing him.

The boy’s biological mother spoke with Denver7 after he was killed.

At the morning preliminary hearing, an eighth count of first-degree murder after deliberation was added to Johnson’s charge list after the judge determined the state had established probable cause to add the charge – the most serious murder charge on Colorado’s law books.

He also faces first-degree murder of a victim under age 12 in a position of trust, child abuse causing death, sexual assault, menacing and various committing a crime with a weapon charges.

Johnson’s public defender had sought to make a plea deal if prosecutors decided not to pursue the death penalty, but withdrew the deal when Brauchler said he would pursue execution for Johnson.

Several law enforcement agents testified at the morning preliminary hearing about the crime scene and interviews with Johnson and his ex-girlfriend.

An investigator with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office testified that Johnson told his girlfriend, “All I wanted was a family,” after he allegedly raped her and stabbed his son.

The investigator said the ex-girlfriend told her that Johnson had told her not to scream while he was assaulting her or he would kill her. After she pleaded with him not to hurt his children, he walked to the bedroom and she heard his 6-year-old son scream.

Another investigator who testified Friday said that Johnson had said he was “going to kill everybody in the house” while he was assaulting his ex. She had texted him days earlier that she was seeing and sleeping with a new man.

The court took a lunch break and will resume at 2 p.m. Johnson is set to be arraigned on the new charges in the second portion of the hearing.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has previously said that no one will be executed in Colorado while he is governor. He has already put on case on hold indefinitely.

Aurora theater shooter James Holmes received a life sentence for his crimes, and only one person, Gary Lee Davis, has been executed since 1977 in Colorado.

Three people – Nathan Dunlap, Sir Mario Owens, and Robert Ray – remain on Colorado’s death row.

A jury would have to unanimously find Johnson guilty of first-degree murder in order for him to be sentenced to death. If the verdict is not unanimous and he is found guilty, Johnson would be sentenced to life in prison.

The ACLU of Colorado strongly objected to Brauchler’s decision Friday, saying the DA has “wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on the Aurora theater trial…Similarly, the defendant in this case has offered to enter a guilty plea and accept a sentence of life without parole, rendering a costly trial unnecessary.”

“The ACLU of Colorado is disappointed by Arapahoe County DA George Brauchler’s decision to pursue the death penalty in yet another case, an outlier decision in direct contradiction to movement across Colorado and the rest of the country away from spending limited resources in the pursuit of death,” ACLU of Colorado Executive Director Nathan Woodliff-Stanley said in a news release.

This story is still developing; stay posted to Denver7 for updates from the court Friday afternoon.

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