Are these your stolen family photos & property?: See gallery o' stuff possibly traded for meth

Last month, Araphaoe County Sheriff's Office reps discovered a storage unit full of presumably stolen items that may have been traded for meth; Ali Samei was busted on drug-related charges. The weird collection ranges from a slot machine to family photos that may show victims. See the ACSO release and...

By Michael Roberts

November 19, 2010

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Last month, Araphaoe County Sheriff's Office reps discovered a storage unit full of presumably stolen items that may have been traded for meth; Ali Samei was busted on drug-related charges. The weird collection ranges from a slot machine to family photos that may show victims. See the ACSO release and check out the gallery below to see if you recognize anything -- or anybody.

Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office release:

On October 16, 2010, the East Metro Auto Theft Team (EMATT) received a tip about possible stolen property being housed in a commercial storage unit located at 11951 E. Mississippi Avenue in Aurora.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the location, and along with the assistance of SWAT, discovered two storage units chocked full of stolen property. The exact value of the stolen property is not known. However, estimates put the aggregate value of these items in the thousands of dollars.

This story was originally broadcast by Fox31 on October 29, 2010, however most of the stolen items have yet to be claimed by owners. Investigators have released several photos of some of the stolen items that were recovered in an effort to locate property owners. The stolen property includes family photos, home and car stereos, tools, computer parts, auto parts, handbags, a slot machine, a pottery kiln, comic books, luggage, a baseball card collection. Investigators believe the stolen goods came from homes and vehicles located throughout the Denver metro area.

During the search a man was found living in one of the storage units who was allegedly trading methamphetamine for stolen goods. Investigators took Ali Samei, 21, of Aurora in to custody. He was transported to the Arapahoe County Jail and held for $50,000 on drug related charges.

Owners of the items shown in the photos should contact Detective Dan Steitz at (303)739-6991 or the EMATT Auto Theft Tip Line at 303-739-1699.

EMATT is made up of five law enforcement agencies that include the Colorado State Patrol, the Commerce City Police Department, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, the Aurora Police Department, and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

More from our "Colorado Crimes" archive: "Ron Rocha, Regis coach, part of 20-kilos-a-week cocaine-ring bust: See mug shots & drug photos."

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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