Amadeus Harlan, aka Johnny Harlan, spent years stealing money, vehicles and hearts with his phony Broncos story -- but now it seems like it's finally game over. Last Friday, a Jefferson County judge sentenced the 41-year-old to 48 years in prison for identity fraud and vehicle theft, having determined he was a habitual offender since he'd previously been convicted of committing a total of twelve other felonies. He'll serve his time concurrently with a ten-year sentence he's serving in Adams County.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg in the strange case of Amadeus Harlan, a tale that involves a disputed, decades-old murder charge, shattered dreams of playing pro ball and Harlan21, a fraudulent youth sports company in northeast Denver that bamboozled an entire community. To read the entire, sordid story, check out the 2008 Westword story "Pro and Con."