Jefferson County District Attorney's Office

Miguel Ita stabbing: DA frustrated by new rules for charging fifteen year olds as adults

Last week, we told you about the decision of the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office to name Miguel Angel Ita, fifteen, as the prosecutorial target in a fatal Lakewood stabbing and begin the procedure to try him as an adult. That process has changed, and not for the better in the view of Je ... More >>

Autumn Guillot, schmuck, embezzled from bank where she was one of just two fulltime staffers

We here at Schmuck of the Week HQ aren't criminals -- really! -- so it's hard to put ourselves in the mind of lawbreakers and miscreants. Yet it still makes sense to us for people stealing stuff from their workplace to make sure there are a lot of other suspects in case the thefts come to light. Ap ... More >>

Miguel Angel Ita, fifteen, should be charged as an adult with Lakewood murder, DA says (73)

In the vast majority of cases -- even serious cases -- when juveniles are charged with crimes, prosecutors routinely decline to release their names. So it's highly unusual that the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office is sharing the name of fifteen year old Miguel Angel Ita, who's been charg ... More >>

Stephen Amador, referee: Did he "accidentally" brush female players' breasts, cup butts?

Unfortunately, we hear all too commonly about middle school or high school coaches accused of sex crimes in these parts. But we can't remember another allegation of a similar offense against a local referee before the arrest this week of Stephen Amador, 52, on suspicion of unlawful sexual contact, t ... More >>

Judith Eakins, schmuck, stole from elderly mom, charged with ripping off high school

Ever heard someone described as being so greedy that she would steal from her own mother? Well, that particular shoe fits Judith Eakins, 53, as if it was made for her, since she did steal from her own mother, a 92 year old with dementia who died last month. But that's not the only reason Eakins is ... More >>

Victor Sanders gets 34 years for pimping a sixteen year old

The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office didn't get a jury to agree with every charge leveled against Victor Sanders, who was accused of pimping and abusing a teenage girl -- and that's an apparent source of frustration. But jurors signed on to enough of them to earn the 26 year old a sentenc ... More >>

Wes Specht, Alameda High coach dubbed "Wild Man," found guilty of sex with student

A short time ago, Wes Specht, a former Alameda High School basketball coach and professional player with the Colorado Kings, where he earned the nickname "Wild Man," has just been found guilty of several counts related to sex with a student and possession of suggestive images. Which means the jury d ... More >>

Zachariah Dobler blew a .223 after running down tow-truck driver, gets 48 years

How drunk was Zachariah Dobler when he ran down tow-truck operator Alan Dilley last July? His blood-alcohol-content level registered at .223, nearly triple the legal limit. Which helps explain why he's been sentenced to 48 years in prison for the crime.

Adam Dixon sentenced for strangling Sabrina Stevens over thirteen years later

In 1998, the nude body of Sabrina Stevens, nineteen, was found dumped along a west-side highway. Immediately thereafter, suspicion began to focus on Adam Dixon, who'd been engaged to Stevens just a couple of months earlier. But it took more than thirteen years for him to confess to ending her life.

Cody Charlton sentenced for improperly touching kids at his mom's home daycare

The Facebook page for Lakewood's Cody Charlton features a single like: Big Brother, a TV show in which bad things often happen to people confined in a house. Which is appropriate given that he's just been sentenced for improperly touching at least ten kids at the home where his mother ran a daycare ... More >>

Randy Keesee, habitual criminal, gets 224 years for casino robbery, attempt to shoot cop

When does an armed robbery earn a gunman 224 years in prison? When the person who committed the crime not only tried to take a shot at a cop, but is subsequently deemed a habitual criminal, thereby multiplying the sentence in a big way. Which is precisely what happened to Randy Keesee.

Steven Noble, legally blind masseuse, charged with unlawful sexual conduct of teen client

On his website, masseuse Steven Noble notes that he is legally blind -- something he regards as a blessing. It's one of many posted statements that make him seem like an unlikely target for criminal charges. But the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office has now formally accused him of unlawfu ... More >>

Debe Bell found guilty of 35 counts of animal abuse targeting rabbits

Debe Bell, 59, has been found guilty on 35 counts of animal abuse at an Arvada property known as Six Bells Farm, where she raised rabbits. Many of the animals appear to have suffered and died in shocking conditions captured in photos on view below.

Jennifer Stover allegedly bilked hospice co-workers out of $30,000 by faking cancer

People drawn to hospice care are typically very sympathetic. That's basically a job requirement. So it's no surprise that Jennifer Stover's co-workers at Collier Hospice in Wheat Ridge offered her financial support when they found out she'd been diagnosed with cancer. Problem is, she never was.

Fernando Archuleta charged with sex assault on 14-year-old convinced he was a rapper

Big pic below.​Famous rappers have it all -- booze, bucks and broads. Phony rappers, on the other hand, take what they can get. And criminal phony rappers do it by force. Which brings us to Fernando Archuleta, who's accused of using bogus rap credentials to rape a fourteen-year-old.

Jeffrey Knouse convicted for attacking elderly man in vulnerable position -- at a urinal

Big pic below.​In the wild, predators don't typically go out of their way to challenge the strongest opponents. Rather, they seek out the weakest members of the herd. Jeffrey Knouse has earned an extended stay at the Cross Bar Hotel for demonstrating this same sensibility on an 81-year-old ma ... More >>

Cassandra Ghirardi & Alexandra Wilde allegedly form mother/daughter identity theft ring

Big pic below.​Moms teach their little girls all kinds of valuable lessons, and Cassandra Ghirardi is no exception. Problem is, Ghirardi's tutorials allegedly involved identity theft, which, while profitable, carries the strong possibility of jail time for her and Alexandra Wilde, her daughte ... More >>

Teresa Porter's gang of identity thieves had secret formula: Jewelry shops Pawn shops = $

Identity theft is great for collecting stuff. But what's the best way to convert it to cash? Teresa Porter and her four helpers, who needed to cover daily living expenses and a meth habit, figured out an efficient formula involving jewelry stores and pawn shops.

Zachariah Dobler: Murder charge for running over tow-truck driver at DUI crash while drunk

Big pic below.​It allegedly took two drunk drivers to kill Alan Dilley. The tow-truck operator was on the scene of an active DUI-crash investigation when he was struck and killed by a car piloted by Zachariah Dobler, who was reportedly drunk at the time. Criminal records show that was nothing ... More >>

Britt Cox convicted of killing meth buddy Bonni Bergen, burning down her house

Big pic below.​Britt Cox has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering Bonni Bergen, 49, with whom he shared a fondness for meth, and then torching her home in an attempt to cover his tracks. Which might have worked if the fire hadn't burned off his hair and left marks on his skin.

Molly Midyette legal appeal: Special prosecutor to replace Boulder DA Stan Garnett

Molly Midyette.​The prosecution of Molly and Alex Midyette by the Boulder District Attorney's Office led to convictions for both regarding the 2006 death of their twelve-week-old son Jason. But now Molly is appealing her sixteen-year prison sentence, arguing Alex and his powerful family sabota ... More >>

Charles Jenkins, former Colorado Springs youth pastor, gets 24 years for sexually assaulting teen

Big pic below.​No doubt there are many fine youth pastors and church volunteers in Colorado Springs -- ones who aren't creepy molesters looking for a chance to diddle underage victims. But Charles Jenkins is the third person with such a job on his résumé to be either arrested or convicted fo ... More >>

Kyle Kvasnicka, Concordia volleyball coach, busted for Internet child luring in Colorado

Big pics below.​Kyle Kvasnicka, thirty, served four years as an assistant for the Concordia University Irvine volleyball squad before working his way up to head coach. In his second year at the helm, he was ready to put his own mark on the program. But now, the school has stripped him from its ... More >>

Ann Crall: Cancer-faking Lakewood cop's wife pleads guilty to fraud, could get 15 years

Big pic below.​Remember Ann Crall, the Lakewood cop's wife who allegedly faked cancer in order to shake down folks -- including police officers -- for thousands in charitable donations? Well, take the "allegedly" out of the previous sentence, because she's pleaded guilty to theft and charitabl ... More >>

Marc O'Leary, accused serial rapist, held on $5 million bond as cops search for more victims

Fox31​It's an indication of just how dangerous authorities consider Marc Patrick O'Leary, 32, that he's being held on a $5 million bond. That's a $5 million cash bond. And while he's been charged with sex assault, kidnapping and more in two incidents, the cops fear he may have left more victi ... More >>

Christine Sylvester sentenced to five-year jolt for stealing almost $1 million from RV dealer

Big pic below.​During the recession, most businesses specializing in big ticket items have found the going rough. So it's something of a surprise that Christine Sylvester, a title and billing clerk for Windish RV Center just sentenced to five years in jail, was able to steal almost $1 million ... More >>

Timothy Gonzales, who moved into man's house and boxer shorts, also sentenced for sex assaults

Big pics below.​Timothy Gonzales made news in November 2009 after being found in a guy's house wearing the owner's boxer shorts -- hahahahahaha! So why the holy hell was he sentenced this week to 28 years in prison? For some very good reasons -- including sexually assaulting two teenagers.

Daryll Brown gets life for hitting ex-wife Alisha Brown with wine bottle, strangling her to death

Big pics below.​On December 30, 2009, Alisha Brown was found murdered in the Sixth Avenue West subdivision. The following February, her ex-husband, Daryll Glenn Brown was arrested for her death. Now, Brown has been convicted and sentenced to life without parole for a crime involving a sneak a ... More >>

Michelle Whitmire: High school cafeteria manager's alleged specialty giving pot to kids

Big pic below.​No, Jefferson High School cafeteria manager Michelle Whitmire isn't accused of serving up marijuana on a plate alongside Mystery Meat and Surprise Stew. But an arrest affidavit on view below in its entirety accuses the 51-year old of giving weed to children as young as elementa ... More >>

Tiffany Nicole Weaver, 7 others, indicted for alleged meth-fueled auto-theft ring (PHOTOS)

Big pics below.​Meth makes people do some desperate things -- like, according to a grand jury indictment aimed at Tiffany Nicole Weaver and seven others, steal vehicles from seventy different victims. Of the 103 counts, Weaver is named in 83 of them. Page down below to see mug shots of the sus ... 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 >>

Pamela Tolbert urinates on herself while robbing bartender, beating him with pool cue

Large photos below.​When a man and a woman are convicted of committing a crime together, the dude typically gets the higher sentence. But not in the case of Alfonzo Portugal and Pamela Tolbert. Yesterday, Portugal was handed twelve years for the robbery and beating of a bartender -- but Tolber ... More >>

Timothy Layne Martinez gets 32 years for sex assault on two sleeping women he videotaped

Large photos below.​Last December, we shared the startling post "Wake Up: You May Have Just Been Sexually Assaulted by Timothy Layne Martinez." At the time, Jefferson County officials were reluctant to provide too many details about Martinez, who faced nineteen counts of sexual assault against ... More >>

Marcus Leyba found guilty of lethal child abuse: Back of daughter's head felt like "mush"

Large photo below.​Last Thanksgiving, Marcus Leyba was booked on investigation of child abuse resulting in the death of his three-month-old daughter. This week, he was found guilty of that charge, as well as first-degree murder, in relation to the crime -- an especially horrific one as indica ... More >>

Smoking pot by yourself made somewhat okay by SeshRoulette.com

Who's this masked man?​Looks like Three Dog Night was right. Apparently one really is the loneliest number. The folks at SeshRoulette.com realize that and have made it their mission to end solo marijuana smoking through video chat. Much like the infamous (and currently on-hiatus) Chatroulette ... More >>

James Chavez allegedly left loaded gun in 4-year old's backpack, then sent her to kindergarten

James Chavez.​Earlier today, we told you about a gun found in a kindergartener's backpack in Lakewood. And it hadn't been brought to school for show and tell. Now, more details: The person who allegedly left the gun in this spot is James Chavez, 27. The gun was loaded -- and the little girl u ... More >>

Coleadero Rodeo: After animal deaths, PETA wants event canceled, & Jeffco commish agrees

From Channel 31 coverage.​Yesterday, we told you about the controversy over the Coleadero Rodeo, which is slated to take place at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on Sunday even though eleven animals were hurt, and two had to be killed, following an event at the same venue on July 18. Now, Peo ... More >>

Robert Wallace shooting: Make My Day law meets Gran Torino

Robert Wallace on 9News.​The Robert Wallace case has all the trademarks of a justice-gone-awry tale. When Wallace, an 81-year-old Wheat Ridge resident, saw two men trying to steal his trailer this past February, he opened fire, hitting one of the men in the head. But the person busted in the s ... More >>

Van Thien Pham and the bottle of Corona he sold that may send him to jail

Van Thien Pham shoulda checked if 7-Eleven had any openings.​The sale of beer to an underage buyer doesn't usually make headlines. But in the case of Van Thien Pham, they're understandable. Back in 2007, according to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, Pham sold liquor to an unde ... More >>

Darrell Havens: State yanks parole for paralyzed thief after cops complain

Without a special parole, medical care for Darrell Havens could cost the state more than $2 million before he's eligible for release.​A 22-year-old convicted car thief, left a quadraplegic by police gunfire and now costing the state prison system $200,000 a year for his care, was recently gran ... More >>

Dumped boyfriend at Chinese restaurant: He'll take out one from Column A, one from Column B

Next time, stick with chopsticks​Despondent over a breakup with his girlfriend on Friday, Chad Allen did what any 22-year-old would do: He drank a lot. Unfortunately, he decided to take his binge on the road on the afternoon of April 2, stopping off at the New Panda restaurant at 17732 South ... More >>

Sexting: Does Little Suzy, thirteen, deserve to be branded a sex offender?

You might want to think twice before you click, missy.​This week, legislators in Connecticut introduced a bill that would allow minors between ages thirteen and eighteen who are in a relationship and engage in sexting to be charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony. This alteration would ... More >>

Investigator visits Chatroulette, sees penis in ten seconds flat

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."​Earlier this week, Investigator Mike Harris, who's assigned to the Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations unit of the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, visited the Chatroulette website for the first time -- and promptly got an eyeful. ... More >>

Justin Carter got out of the Army — and got in trouble

Wake up: You may have just been sexually assaulted by Timothy Layne Martinez

Do you know this woman? If so, she may be able to help the Jeffco DA.​What's among the qualities Timothy Layne Martinez allegedly likes in women? Unconsciousness. Martinez has been charged with nineteen counts of sexual assault against two women, with the incidents dating back to 2006. Why th ... More >>

Letters to the Editor

From the week of August 01, 2002

Naughty or Nice

A year after a Yuletide protest, one alleged Santa vandal is indicted and an activist-spokesman is freed.

Hate, Lies and Videotapes

The Harris/Klebold tapes and the people's right to know.

Home Is Where the Hurt Is

Colorado’s Make My Day law was designed to protect homeowners who were forced to kill in self-defense. Here’s who it’s really helped.

Pressing the Flesh