Drug Crimes

Marijuana bust: Ohio students headed to Aspen arrested for possession

Pot is now technically legal in Colorado for recreational use -- but smoking underage on a bus bound for this state most certainly is not. That was a tough lesson for a group of Ohio students who were caught with marijuana and other drugs on their way here for an Aspen ski trip. But they didn't make ... More >>

Gary Lee Holman: Woman and toddlers must be decontaminated after meth and pot bust

When Larimer County Sheriff's deputies responded to a Fort Collins home this past weekend, they thought they would be investigating a domestic violence case. But they got much more than they bargained for in relation to Gary Lee Holman -- including a pot grow and enough meth to require a woman and h ... More >>

Drug checkpoint on U.S. 36 to Boulder nabs nearly a pound of marijuana

Last August, we told you about a drug enforcement checkpoint on I-25 by the Westminster Police Department. This narcotics-centric variation on DUI checkpoints moved to a new location Tuesday night: U.S. Highway 36 to Boulder. And it spawned a felony arrest, for possession of nearly a pound's worth o ... More >>

Medical marijuana caregiver Stylios Trachanas's bust as much about illegal weapons as weed

Reports about Stylios Trachanas's court appearance on Friday led with his role as a medical marijuana caregiver, as did a U.S. Attorney's Office release. But while his MMJ work will contribute to his sentence, he may not have been arrested at all if he hadn't used and possessed weapons forbidden to ... More >>

Carl Gruber, busted at Boulder airport with 55 pounds of marijuana, is renowned pilot

This weekend, Carl Gruber, 45, was busted at Boulder Municipal Airport with 55 pounds worth of marijuana. But while media reports on the arrest characterize Gruber as a suspected smuggler, he was been best known prior to this point as a pilot -- an award-winning one.

Ten infamous 2011 crimes with Colorado connections

And you thought you had a crazy year. Getting jiggy with a student at a Baptist school, driving a scooter without a license in Miami, possessing four grams of cocaine in Aspen, threatening to shoot out a Best Buy in Aurora over a video game and literally getting shit on in Boulder -- these are all s ... More >>

Dmitry Genzer, Joseph Alejo busted in Cannabis & Co. sting, 175 pounds of pot seized

Big pics below.​Update: Just heard from Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mark Techmeyer about the arrests last week of Cannabis & Co. owner Dmitry Genzer and associate Joseph Alejo, and the seizure of around 175 pounds of weed. In the process, we discovered some misinformation. Tech ... More >>

Anthony Harvey, home decor expert -- and drug-ring leader, claims indictment (VIDEOS)

Big pic below.​Decorative Concrete Finishes' Anthony Harvey is the star and narrator of videos on his YouTube channel in which he and his crew reveal how an average backyard can be transformed into a showplace; see examples below. However, his current spotlight time doesn't focus on his skills ... More >>

Drug enforcement checkpoint on I-25: Five tickets, two arrests out of 32 stops

​Update:On August 9, the Westminster Police Department manned a "DRUG ENFORCEMENT CHECKPOINT" on I-25. Last week, WPD Investigator Trevor Materasso confirmed the operation, but didn't have many details. Now, however, he's able to provide the specifics. Officers issued tickets or made arrests i ... More >>

Operation Fortune Cookie: Judge tosses cop lawsuit alleging internal leaks and retaliation

Dan Tang.​Operation Fortune Cookie, a 2008 raid netting 24,000 marijuana plants, was the largest weed bust in state history -- but it imploded among claims of police snitches, paid-off politicians and a secret DEA investigation. Last March, two Fortune Cookie investigators, Daniel Joyce and Ro ... More >>

Michael McCullar, 11 others, sentenced in violent Adams County meth ring (PHOTOS)

Big pics below.​How many addicts does it take to make a meth ring profitable? Fewer than you might think. According to the Seventeenth Judicial District DA's office, a group of a dozen just-sentenced dealers and compatriots, led by Michael McCullar, are thought to have regularly serviced betwe ... More >>

Operation Fortune Cookie: Internal complaints filed against police chiefs, Dante Carbone

Dan Tang​Turmoil continues in Operation Fortune Cookie, the state's largest drug bust that collapsed amid alleged cop snitches and paid-off politicians. Last week, we reported that a suit filed by two local cops suggests Thornton Commander Dante Carbone was the prime suspect in the leak that s ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Ann Marie Miller sues North Metro Drug Task Force, sheriff over MMJ raid

​Last year, we told you about the case of medical marijuana caregiver Ann Marie Miller, who faced a felony cultivation charge for what she claimed was a legal number of plants. A new law subsequently lowered the offense to a misdemeanor, but the felony accusation against her remains. The lates ... More >>

Marijuana bust: Richard Caleel among group accused of using MMJ as cover for illicit pot ring

Big pics below.​North Metro Drug Task Force Commander Jerry Peters has long argued that criminals are abusing Colorado's medical marijuana system -- and now he's got more evidence go back up his contention. The Colorado Attorney General's Office, working with the NMDTF, has just announced a ma ... More >>

Ever Eleazar Murrieta-Nieblas: 276 pounds of marijuana in car = 8 to 48 year sentence

Large pic below.​Don't know if Arizona's Ever Eleazar Murrieta-Nieblas tried to convince authorities that the marijuana in his possession was for medical purposes -- but it would have been a tough argument, since there was 276 pounds of it. The sheer heft likely helped convince a jury to convi ... More >>

Colorado Border School conference in Aurora to discuss border security, gangs, drug trafficking

​Colorado Border School sounds like an illegal immigration forum. But founder Pam Faraone, a chaplain with the Southwest Border Sheriffs Coalition in Texas, insists that's not the case. "Border School really isn't about immigration," she says. "It is the rest of the story about the issues of b ... More >>

Ron Rocha, Regis coach, part of 20-kilos-a-week cocaine-ring bust: See mug shots & drug photos

Large photos below.​Last month, Ron Rocha, a volunteer baseball coach for Regis University, was on the losing end of an intra-squad matchup dubbed the Fall World Series. But he suffered an even greater defeat yesterday, when he was among 35 people named by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the bus ... More >>

Ramon Chavez, Gabriel Farias-Chavez accused in 50 lb. per month meth ring using car batteries

Ramon Chavez.​Colorado Attorney General John Suthers has announced the bust of an alleged nine-member drug ring, in which suspects such as Ramon Chavez and Gabriel Farias-Chavez are said to have transported up to fifty pounds of meth per month from Mexico into Colorado. Their storage container ... More >>

Pinalcchio

Renowned forensics experts say a Pinal County, Arizona deputy's high-profile tale about getting shot after encountering drug smugglers doesn't add up

Marijuana grow bust in Boulder County 2.0: Now 7,500 plants seized worth $1 million

A 2009 Ralston Creek haul.​An update about yesterday's Boulder County marijuana grow seizure of 3,000 plants. After a closer count, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office thinks the plant total was closer to 3,500 -- and after more inspection of the nearby area, law-enforcement types located a se ... More >>

Marijuana grow bust in Boulder County: 3,000 plants worth estimated $500,000 seized

2009 Sugarloaf Mountain bust.​Breaking news: Boulder is recognized the world over as a marijuana-friendly town. But apparently the weed smoked by thousands of attendees at the annual 4/20 orgasm of cannabis consumption at CU is largely grown elsewhere. As evidence, note that this week's bust ... More >>

Asylum Denied: Only a fraction of Mexicans get U.S. asylum

Heaven Dragon loses its liquor license (for now), while owner Dan Tang sits behind bars in drug bust fallout

Dan Tang​When you stop in at Heaven Dragon, the popular Thornton eatery that served President George W. Bush on three separate occasions, you'll likely notice two things missing. One is Dan Tang, the restaurant's workaholic owner, since on Monday he went to prison to start an eighteen-month se ... More >>

Inside America's kidnapping capital of Phoenix, Arizona

Operation Cripsland lands Rock, Lil Walt, Ken Dog and more on weapons, drug charges

A Flickr photo​Yesterday, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced the latest busts in its Operation Cripsland campaign -- eight arrests on weapon and drug charges to supplement a roundup of nine others last year. As a bonus, the feds include the nicknames of the men snagged, including Rock, Lil Wa ... More >>

A cunning American boy becomes a Mexican cartel soldier and East L.A. executioner

Cowboy Down: Rob Krentz's Family Talks About the Life and Death of the Murdered Arizona Rancher

Drug ring in Boulder County: 17 indicted for meth, cocaine, to Stan Garnett's delight

Stan Garnett.​Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett, who's challenging John Suthers for the job of Colorado Attorney General, was able to burnish his law-and-order credentials today via the actions of a grand jury, which just handed down a 127-count, seventeen-person indictment aimed at a Lon ... More >>

Badlands: From Ground Zero of the Immigration Crisis Along the Mexican Border

Medical marijuana dispensary busted in Thornton, where they're banned

Donald Faltermeier Jr. allegedly picked the wrong town.​According to attorney Jessica Corry, one aspect of HB 1284, the medical marijuana regulatory bill on the verge of becoming law, that's most deserving of being challenged in court involves communities' ability to ban MMJ dispensaries. Tha ... More >>

Chris Bartkowicz indicted: Faces up to 40 year sentence for Highlands Ranch marijuana grow

Chris Bartkowicz is taking a big risk.​In February, HIghlands Ranch's Chris Bartkowicz showed off his home medical marijuana grow to Channel 9, after which he was promptly busted by the DEA -- an arrest that earned criticism from MMJ advocate Rob Corry and even Representative Jared Polis. Des ... More >>

Cocaine, nitrous oxide bonus finds after yet another marijuana-grow raid

Daniel Lehman allegedly had pot -- and a lot more.​Last week in Commerce City, cops investigating a home invasion found a marijuana grow and prepackaged weed ready for sale at dispensaries, along with cocaine and heroin. "There's an increase in drug dealers trying to legitimize their trade by ... More >>

Dan Tang sentencing in Operation Fortune Cookie makes "absolutely no sense," says Tom Gorman, drug task force head

​The drama continues around Operation Fortune Cookie, the largest weed bust in state history, which imploded amid accusations of snitching cops, paid-off politicians and bureaucratic retribution. Last week, the drug investigation's main suspect, politically connected restaurateur Dan Tang, re ... More >>

Medical marijuana caregiver on probation, Erick Schmuckal, goes to jail over weed

Erick Schmuckal is currently in the Broomfield County Jail.​On Wednesday, Erick Schmuckal was taken directly from a court hearing to jail. He's been ordered to serve 120 days for violating his probation. What did he do to earn this sentence? According to his attorney, Sean McAllister, he acte ... More >>

Toddler joins daddy at cocaine deal gone wrong

A Flickr photoThat ain't baby laxative.​So... you and your pals are slinging marijuana and cocaine, and you're scheduled to make an exchange with a buyer. What do you bring with you? The product? Check. A gun? Check. Anything else? Oh yeah: A fourteen-month-old girl. That's the allegation ma ... More >>

Dan Tang, Operation Fortune Cookie prime suspect, sentenced to eighteen months

Dan Tang is facing 18 months in prison.​This afternoon, Chief U.S. District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel sentenced prominent Thornton restaurant owner Dan Tang to eighteen months in prison for his part in the largest marijuana bust in state history -- more than the probation requested by his lawyers, ... More >>

Dan Tang-Operation Fortune Cookie exclusive at Channel 31 not all that exclusive

Dan Tang's sentencing is tomorrow: Exclusive!​Update, 12:34 p.m.: Channel 31 reporter Julie Hayden has responded to an interview request on this subject. Look below the original item to read what she has to say. In an age of shrinking newsroom resources, media organizations are borrowing from ... More >>

A North Metro Task Force investigation takes another hit

Dan Tang and Operation Fortune Cookie: A primer on Colorado's largest -- and most unusual -- indoor weed bust

Big-time restaurateur Dan Tang is believed to be a the center of Colorado's largest -- and strangest -- indoor weed bust​With the sentencing of prominent restaurant owner Dan Tang this coming Wednesday, March 31, it seemed like the long, strange tale of Operation Fortune Cookie would finally b ... More >>

Marijuana grower Chris Bartkowicz charged with possession, intent to distribute 224 marijuana plants; read the criminal complaint here

Chris Bartkowicz as seen in a 9News package he likely regrets.​Chris Bartkowicz, whose Highlands Ranch marijuana grow was raided by the Drug Enforcement Administration last Friday after he was interviewed by 9News, has instantly become a major figure in the debate over medical marijuana in Col ... More >>

Dan Tang pleads guilty in exchange for reduced sentence

Dan Tang​This morning, prominent Thornton restaurant owner Dan Tang pled guilty to one count of money laundering for his role in what investigators labeled the "Dan Tang Drug Trafficking Organization." When authorities took down the drug ring in February 2008, they came away with 24,000 mari ... More >>

Dr. Reefer takes on Senator Chris Romer

Dr. Reefer is open for business in Boulder -- but not yet in Denver.​In a blog published yesterday, state senator Chris Romer said this while discussing some of his ideas for regulating the medical-marijuana industry: "The medical-marijuana community isn't the only stakeholder here. Lots of su ... More >>

Operation Coronado and the La Familia bust: The Western Slope is Breaking Bad

This, my friends, is what three pounds of meth looks like.​I'm a proud native of the Western Slope, and when I grew up in Grand Junction, the main substance we had to worry about was uranium. Those were the days. Now, reports about meth busts are the opposite of unusual -- although few can com ... More >>

How good fortune graced the namesake of the "Dan Tang Drug Trafficking Organization"

Deconstructing Colorado's largest indoor pot bust

As described in this week's feature story, "Tales of the Dragon," prominent Thornton restaurateur Dan Tang has agreed to plead guilty to one count of money laundering for his involvement in a massive marijuana ring -- even though authorities believed Tang had much more involvement than just money l ... More >>

Another marijuana-grow operation is uprooted in Pike National Forest

Assorted agencies took down a marijuana-grow operation on Sugarloaf Mountain in July.​As smoke continues to gather over medical-marijuana operations in Colorado, local law-enforcement agencies continue to find weed-growing operations in remote locations -- and Pike National Forest appears to b ... More >>

Slideshow: Say goodbye to $2.5 million worth of Sugarloaf Mountain marijuana

"Another tough day clearing the weed...."​Joel Warner's blog "Colorado's Marijuana Growing Pains Continue" focuses on attempts to regulate the medical-marijuana industry. This item is about weed of another kind -- and a lot of it. Last month, the West Metro Drug Task Force found and eradicate ... More >>

Former Bronco Travis Henry sentenced to three years in prison

Travis Henry during his locker-room days. Back in September, former Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry was arrested in relation to a series of cocaine-related charges -- but because the drugs in question were found in Montana, the trial took place there rather than in Denver. That proceeding ... More >>

You Do the Meth

Police raids bust up drug labs. But they also bust up families.

The Maverick

Telluride lawman Bill Masters is no dope. So what turned him against the war on drugs?