In August 2009, former Mormon church lay bishop Shawn Merriman earned Shmuck of the Week honors for Ponzi scheming millions from friends and acquaintances. But yesterday, he was awarded with an even more richly deserved prize: a twelve-and-a-half-year prison jolt, plus an order to pay $20.1 million in restitution. Will…
Much has been made of several high-profile incidents of alleged police brutality involving the Denver PD, culminating in the resignation of Denver Manager of Safety Ron Perea. Number crunchers even suggest Denver’s number-one for excessive-force complaints. But while the focus may be on Denver, the incidents may be tied to…
What the hell’s going on around here lately? Hot on the heels of Michael Wade Jackson’s arrest in the slaying of Mohamed Abushahma and a shooting near a condo in Aurora, we’re learning about the discovery of two dead bodies — one male, one female — in a Thornton apartment…
More fatal violence in Aurora. Just days after the arrest of Michael Wade Jackson in the death of Mohamed Abushahma comes word of another shooting last night, with a thus-far-unnamed man found near a condo complex later succumbing to his wounds. Look below for the Aurora Police release on the…
Aurora Police have confirmed reports about the principals in a weekend killing: Michael Wade Jackson is being held for investigation of homicide in the slaying of Mohamed Abushahma, who’s said to have been his longtime friend. Also critically injured in the altercation was Abushahma’s seventeen-year-old son, who had to be…
What started as a late-night drive-thru run last May for 49-year-old Lilian Verdonkschot, her daughter and her daughter’s friend turned tragic when Verdonkschot was hit by the driver of a Cadillac DeVille. The last thing Verdonkschot’s daughter heard before her mother was crushed under the Cadillac’s tires was, “Let’s just…
Friday night, a 54-year-old man was shot to death in an Arvada home — and on Sunday, David Paul Alredge, 32, was arrested for the crime. According to Arvada Police Department spokeswoman Susan Medina, the victim will likely be identified today — and she’s still not able to talk about…
Dr. Louis Hampers, the Children’s Hospital ER doctor facing federal charges for writing 654 phony prescriptions, is headed back to Colorado. Hampers was arrested Tuesday in Virginia and appeared in court there this afternoon. According to Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hampers did not contest his detention,…
Several police-brutality incidents and the resignation of Denver Manager of Safety Ron Perea have cast a harsh light on the Denver PD. Chief Gerry Whitman doesn’t think the department’s out of control, telling the city safety committee, “Our use of force per arrest is less than most major police forces.”…
The Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force hasn’t come up with one of its patented nicknames (like the Super Freak Bandit) for the guy suspected of robbing the downtown Chase Bank branch yesterday. And that’s odd, because surveillance photos show him clinging to his coat, looking chilled to the bone…
The Denver Police Department is searching for an assault suspect with a very worrisome m.o. He allegedly came up behind a woman near the intersection of Florida and Syracuse Wednesday morning and shocked her with a handheld device — a Taser, possibly? A passing motorist scared him away in this…
Dr. Louis Hampers, the Children’s Hospital ER doctor charged with writing 654 fake prescriptions dating back to 2007 and continuing through April, will return to court Friday in Virginia, where he was arrested yesterday. According to Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hampers will face a detention and…
Earlier this month, a body was found near a rec center at La Alma Park. Now, the victim has been identified as Sean Fresques, 39. And according to the Denver coroner’s office, he didn’t die of natural causes. Rather, he was a homicide victim. Look below to see the coroner’s…
Children’s Hospital doctor Louis Hampers was arrested this morning on charges of writing hundreds of phony prescriptions. An indictment alleges that on 654 occasions between January 2009 and April 2010, Hampers used five aliases and eight fake patient names to fraudulently obtain drugs such as generic Vicodin, Valium and Ambien…
An autopsy is scheduled today as part of the investigation into the death of Connor D. Capel, 22, discovered on the lawn of a house on the 700 block of North Emporia Street in Aurora early Saturday morning. Thus far, all the Aurora Police Department is saying about the cause…
Back in February, we told you about Raymond Swisher, charged with 100 counts of indecent exposure and unlawful sexual conduct. According to the Raymond Swisher arrest affidavit, he recorded sex with multiple women without consent and exposed himself to kids with his camera set to capture their expressions. For that,…
Authorities in Boulder have charged Marciene Sullivan, 52, with 23 separate counts in the child-abuse and child-pornography categories. Why both? Because not only did Sullivan allegedly upload child-porn images, but some of the shots were of a young girl known to him. Shudder. Get more details from the Boulder Police…
On August 19, two suspects reportedly mugged a man on the 1700 block of Clarkston Street, then used his stolen credit card — and surveillance video shows that one of them was clad in a Tim Tebow jersey. Mugging a guy’s bad enough. But besmirching the image of Denver’s new…
In July, Robert Walters was accused of murdering Air Force vet Brittney Brashers following a topless photo shoot, then faking a car crash to cover up the crime. Then, last week, Walters was slapped with another charge: attempting to put out a hit on his ex-wife. Now, new details are…
Suddenly, people allegedly pretending to have cancer for personal gain are everywhere. Hot on the heels of the jail sentence leveled against admitted cancer-faking hottie Tausha Marsh, we learn about a grand jury indictment against Ann Crall, who’s said to have collected nearly $60,000 for a bogus illness. The capper?…
Police impersonators tend to be delusional types. Remember the Colorado Springs man who tried to pull people over in a 1995 Cadillac equipped with a white strobe light? He’d likely identify with the mustached man who patted down and cuffed a bystander at a Colfax bus stop while clad in…
In April 2009, we told you about Gunnison’s Tausha Marsh, accused of faking cancer to collect thousands in donations. When she pleaded guilty to this crime in February, Marsh’s MySpace and Facebook pages begging for bucks were still online. And even as she prepares to serve 36 days in jail,…
