DENVER — A grand jury indicted five people on 90 counts in connection with an alleged Denver-area auto theft and burglary crime ring that stole vehicles and property valued at nearly $1 million, the Colorado Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.
Nathaniel Tsosie, Craig Keltner, Justin Jameson, Andrea Wettig, and Dustin James are accused of forming a criminal organization that spanned from the Denver area—including Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties—to Clear Creek and Weld counties and stole vehicles and property from storage units valued at $945,000 between December 2019 and March 2021, according to a news release from the AG’s office.
According to the indictment, the group used stolen identities to test drive vehicles from car dealerships, and then never returned the vehicles. Stolen identities were also allegedly used to open accounts at storage unit facilities to gain access to the businesses and steal property from other units. Stolen property was sometimes pawned, the release read.
“Motor vehicle theft is a serious issue hurting a lot of people and businesses in Colorado. Stolen vehicles are often used to commit other crimes, such as personal property theft. It is critical that law enforcement work collaboratively to address the high number of auto thefts in our state and use all the tools available to do so. We in the Attorney General’s Office are committed to doing our part and will do everything we can bring justice for the victims of this organized auto theft and burglary crime ring,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.
Colorado holds the top spot in the nation in car thefts per capita, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Preliminary car theft data for 2022was released by the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) on Monday and shows approximately 41,225 vehicles were reported stolen in the state last year. The number represents a 10% increase from the previous year.
The indictment includes various criminal charges including violating Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act, first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, second-degree burglary, identity theft, forgery, criminal impersonation, felony theft, as well as felony drug possession and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, among other charges.
The five suspects are already in custody in various jurisdictions in Colorado and Wyoming, according to the news release.