Leader of Denver Airport Car Theft Ring Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison

The man behind a string of Hollywood-esque heists that terrorized the Denver area for over a year is heading to prison.

David Nava-Delgado, 25, was sentenced to twenty years in the Department of Corrections, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced on October 24. He pleaded guilty to Colorado Organized Crime Control Act charges and two counts of felony aggravated motor vehicle theft.

Nava-Delgado was the leader of a crime ring that stole dozens of vehicles from Denver International Airport, car dealerships and other locations between February 2022 and March 2023, according to the DA's office. The group used some of the stolen vehicles as battering rams, smashing through the fronts of metro businesses to steal ATMs and items including vaping devices.

“The severity of the sentence given to David Nava-Delgado demonstrates the magnitude of the harm he and his associates caused the greater Denver community," says Commander John Pickard of the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force. “Hopefully, this will send a message to those involved in this type of criminal activity that their crimes will be taken seriously, and they will be held accountable for their actions.”

In October 2023, Nava-Delgado and twelve other people involved in the operation were indicted on 121 counts, including racketeering, participating in a criminal enterprise, theft, conspiracy, burglary, aggravated motor vehicle theft, vehicular alluding, owning or operating a chop shop, and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Authorities connected the group to over fifty vehicle thefts and more than thirty burglaries or attempted burglaries. The stolen vehicles ranged from a $63,000 Bentley Continental to an $8,400 Jeep Wrangler, according to the indictment, though the group favored Ford F-150 trucks — Colorado's most stolen vehicle.

At one point, he stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee and led police on a high-speed chase, along with accomplices driving a stolen F-150 Raptor. Nava-Delgado was found in a stolen vehicle containing several key programming devices and blank keys, according to the DA's office; blank keys and key fobs were discovered inside the other chase vehicle.

Nava-Delgado was also identified as the driver of a stolen Dodge Charger used as a getaway car in a burglary and the driver of a stolen F-150 involved in an accident in Thornton, authorities say.

The thirteen crime ring members were connected through social media and cell phones that they used to discuss their criminal activity, according to the indictment. Some members were also identified via DNA evidence, or because they linked their phones to the entertainment systems of later-recovered stolen vehicles.

"I’m proud of the work of my team and law enforcement who not only indicted thirteen individuals for terrorizing innocent passengers at DIA but prosecuted and convicted those same defendants who have caused so much pain throughout our jurisdiction," says District Attorney Brian Mason. “When Colorado saw a massive increase in motor vehicle thefts, we set out to curb the spike – and we’ve succeeded."

In 2022, Colorado had the worst car theft rates in the country, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's review of FBI data. That year, Colorado reported over 731 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents, up more than 10 percent from 2021.

However, vehicle thefts dropped 28 percent statewide from 2023 to 2024, according to the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force. In the metro area, year-over-year vehicle thefts decreased by 30 percent; at Denver International Airport, they decreased by 55 percent.

The crime ring was based around Adams County, but the crimes occurred across Colorado, in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, Jefferson and Logan counties.

"We hope this shows as a clear statement that crime in Colorado will not be left ignored or unpunished," the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority said in response to Nava-Delgado's sentencing.