FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. The former police and fire chiefs of Federal Heights have filed an intent to sue the city, accusing city leadership of retaliation when they were both fired earlier this year.

In exclusive interviews with Denver7 Investigates, former Police Chief Robert Grado and former Fire Chief Marc Mahoney said they were terminated after challenging the leadership of longtime City Manager Jacquie Halburnt.

WATCH: Former Federal Heights police and fire chiefs speak with Denver7's Jennifer Kovaleski in exclusive interviews

What happened is not OK, Grado said. I dont deserve this. And neither did Chief Mahoney.

I was fired because I came forward and spoke out against the city manager, Mahoney said.

In the formal legal notice sent to the city, the chiefs claim that they warned leaders about public safety and chronic understaffing. They also accused Halburnt of interfering with their departments.

We had officers that were very upset, Grado said. They were worried about their safety. I was worried about their safety.

Days after a closed-door meeting in October regarding those concerns, the fight went public at a City Council study session.

At that point, at the end of that council meeting, I did get up and ask for a clear and independent investigation into the city, Mahoney said. Myself and the police chief came forward, and we brought a number of concerns very specific concerns.

But instead, records show the chiefs would find themselves under investigation.

According to termination letters obtained by Denver7 Investigates, an outside investigator hired by the city found that both chiefs improperly pushed for staffing increases and tried to influence city council through public pressure.

Every item listed in there was untrue, Grado said. And I never had due process.

The letters also accuse both Grado and Mahoney of undermining the citys budget process and violating procedures.

Grado and Mahoneys attorney sees it differently.

I believe this was straightforward retaliation, Attorney Iris Halpern said.

Denver7 Investigates has followed the growing turmoil in the city since January when the police and fire unions publicly backed their chiefs and issued a vote of no confidence in Halburnt.

The chiefs were then fired April 3, a Friday. They received text messages from Halburnt to check their personal email where they learned they had been terminated, according to records obtained by Denver7 Investigates.

An email to staff that was sent at 6:40 p.m. insinuated that both chiefs resigned, which both chiefs say and records show was not the case.

Following the firings, multiple council meetings included agenda items and executive sessions to discuss the employment status of Halburnt and City Attorney Bill Hayashi. But one meeting ended with Hayashi cutting off Mayor Pro Tem Doris Peterson while reading a motion because he said it was inappropriate due to procedural issues.

A subsequent meeting ended after councilors returned from an executive session saying they had no consensus on a direction forward.

"This is scandalous, Grado said. I think we have an underserved community there that is being taken advantage of, quite honestly, and a council that does not have an understanding of their role.

Now, Grado and Mahoney said they plan to sue the city, with the notice letter saying they could be seeking more than $1 million.

It's about accountability. I've never sued anybody in my life, Grado said. It's a career that I put my heart and soul into, and I have a true love for the staff and the citizens that we were serving.

Mahoney added that he has no regrets about speaking up.

I wake up every single morning knowing that I did the right thing, and I will continue to know that regardless of what happens, he said.

City Manager Halburnt has repeatedly denied interview requests and declined to comment, stating the firings were a confidential personnel matter. She again declined to comment for this story, citing the pending litigation.

A scam promising millions in unclaimed life insurance money is making the rounds again, and federal officials are warning that you should ignore the calls and letters.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer alert this month warning about scammers posing as lawyers who claim that someone with the same last name has died and left a massive life insurance policy behind.

The catch: The money does not exist.

Denver7 Investigates consumer reporter Jaclyn Allen has more on this scam in the video below:

Denver7 Investigates found Colorado families are among those being targeted.

Eric Lozano, who lives in Morrison, filed a report with BBB ScamTracker after he said someone contacted members of his family claiming to have information about a life insurance policy connected to his aunt.

This person called multiple members in my family trying to get information, Lozano wrote in the complaint.

According to the FTC, the scam often starts with a letter, email or phone call from someone claiming to be an attorney or representative of a law firm.

The person tells victims they are the heir to a multi-million-dollar life insurance policy or inheritance left behind by someone they have never met.

The scammer may claim the money would be split among the recipient, charities and the supposed law firm handling the case.

The FTC said the story is designed to gain trust and pressure people into handing over sensitive information.

They will try to get your personal and financial information, like Social Security numbers or bank account numbers, the agency warned in its alert.

In some cases, scammers also ask victims to send money upfront for taxes, processing fees or legal paperwork.

Consumer advocates said there are several red flags:

The FTC said anyone who receives one of these calls or letters should not respond and should never send money or personal information to strangers promising large rewards.

Consumers can report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

DENVER A woman known to have multiple evictions in both Colorado and Texas is now facing theft charges in Denver and is accused of stealing more than $500,000 from a business she worked at for nearly two years.

Heather Ruybal was in court Tuesday on those charges. The arrest affidavit states the alleged scheme lasted multiple years. If convicted, she could face up to 12 years in prison.

Denver7 Investigates first reported on Ruybal last month after a Denver landlord came forward stating that Ruybal used the name Ann Schwab to rent her home. She paid rent for nearly two years before payments suddenly stopped in March.

She then learned that Ruybals son had been living at the home and that it was contaminated with methamphetamine.

Watch Jennifer Kovaleski's report in the video below:

Court records show that Ruybal has used multiple names in Colorado and Texas to rent homes and has often failed to pay rent. Those records show shes been evicted roughly 20 times between the two states. In 2018, she was convicted of identity theft in Colorado and served three years in prison of a six-year sentence.

She was charged with theft in 2023 after renting a property in Thornton and failing to pay rent. She received 18 months probation in that case.

Now, shes facing theft charges that allegedly occurred while working as a payroll manager and bookkeeper for a Denver company. The arrest affidavit redacts the name of the company.

In the affidavit, investigators claim she created payments to fake employees, using names like Heather Schwab, Heather Cole and a business called Quality Precision Accounting.

The affidavit states that the money was deposited directly into accounts linked to Ruybal between 2024 and 2026.

Ruybal declined to comment after Tuesdays hearing. She is due back in court on Sept. 1.

Shes also facing fraud charges in Dallas and is slated for trial later this month.

A project manager charged in the case against Schwalb Builders owners and employees is accepting a plea deal, canceling his trial that was set to start in August.

Kevin Allbritton was facing more than 20 counts of theft, money laundering and violating Colorados organized crime act.

Allbritton served as a project manager for many of the remodels where victims claimed that the company would take on jobs and either not complete work, fail to pull permits or do substandard work to the point where homes were uninhabitable.

WATCH: Denver7's Jaclyn Allen reviews this case and explains this new update.

Allbritton was indicted along with Sean and Avi Schwalb and a few other employees in January 2025. He was set for a trial in late August, but will now be sentenced to two years probation for felony and misdemeanor charges, and forced to pay restitution of roughly $100,000 back to victims. That amount is based on what Allbritton received as commission for the projects.

The Attorney Generals Office, which is prosecuting the case, confirmed the conditions of the plea, but declined to comment due to the ongoing prosecution.

An attorney for Allbritton denied an interview request and declined to comment.

If Allbritton does not violate his probation, the felony charges will be removed from his permanent record. Its that issue that has John LaHaye one of dozens of victims feeling betrayed.

I am furious, LaHaye told Denver7 Investigates. I want him to have a felony conviction that follows him for the rest of his life.

LaHaye said he signed on with Schwalb Builders for a home addition project at his Westminster home in 2022.

LaHaye paid the company more than $150,000, according to the grand jury indictment, and said hes out more than $200,000 after having to pay another company to finish the job. He said the project failed inspection 12 times.

Allbritton, along with Sean and Avi Schwalb and others, are accused of stealing more than $1 million over multiple years.

Denver7 Investigates has followed the case since early 2024. Earlier this year, Avi Schwalb was convicted on 47 charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison in April. Sean Schwalbs trial has seen multiple delays and his trial is set to begin in January 2027, roughly two years after his initial indictment and arrest.

For LaHaye, he hoped Allbritton who was his main point of contact with Schwalb Builders would face a harsher punishment for his actions.

Plea deals are garbage. You break the law, you should go to jail for it, LaHaye said. I was counting on the justice system to drop the hammer on them like they did on Avi Schwalb. That isn't what happened.

The trial of Barry Morphew, the man accused of killing his wife in 2020, wont happen until, most likely, the first half of 2027.

Barry Morphew is charged with the murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, who was reported missing in May of 2020. Her remains were discovered in 2023. Barry Morphew, who was previously charged only to see the case dismissed, was indicted and re-arrested in June 2025. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in January.

In a status conference Wednesday, the parties met to discuss a motion to continue the trial, with defense attorneys noting they need more time to go through the mountain of discovery in the case. Morphews trial was set to begin in mid-October in Alamosa.

Prosecutors objected to the delay. An attorney representing Suzannes Morphews siblings said they are tormented by what happened to their sister and desperately need closure. He also stated that they had made arrangements to attend the October trial in person.

Judge Amanda Hopkins sympathized with both sides and ultimately decided to grant the continuance, stating that she wanted to do this in a way where family only has to go through this one time.

She instructed prosecutors and defense attorneys to collaborate to find a trial date sometime before June 1, 2027 and to have that date in time for Morphews next scheduled hearing on July 6.

Barry Morphew, a Colorado man charged with murdering his wife Suzanne in 2020 after she was reported missing in Chaffee County, was living with a woman in Arizona and using a fake name when he was re-arrested in the summer of 2025.

An arrest report from the Arizona Department of Public Safety also states that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation asked the department to keep track of Barry Morphews movements in the months leading up to his arrest.

Watch Jennifer Kovaleski's report about this new development, and what is next, in the video below.

Denver7 Investigates obtained the arrest report through its media partners at ABC15 in Phoenix and verified it through Arizona DPS.

According to the report, CBI had contacted Arizona DPS in February to provide information on Barry Morphew and to ask for assistance in monitoring his whereabouts in Arizona.

On June 18, CBI informed Arizona DPS that they were anticipating a grand jury indictment and that a warrant may be issued for Morphews arrest. That evening, Arizona DPS received the warrant, which included a $3 million bond and nationwide extradition back to Colorado.

They also received a warrant to place a GPS tracking device on his truck.

CBI Agent in Charge Gregg Slater went to Arizona for the arrest, according to the report.

Barry Morphew was arrested June 20 during a traffic stop. The woman, who Denver7 Investigates is not identifying because she is not charged with a crime, told police that Morphew told her his name was Lee Moore. They had met in late December 2024 and he moved in with her in May 2025.

Five days before the arrest, the woman said Barry Morphew told her his real name and that his wife had been abducted in Colorado.

Police searched her home and took Barry Morphews safe back to the police department. Inside the safe was an AR-15-style rifle and a silencer.

Barry Morphews attorney declined to comment on the report. Barry Morphew is due in court Wednesday for a status conference.

He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in January.

Suzanne Morphew, Barrys wife, was 49 when she disappeared and had been missing since May 10, 2020 Mothers Day from the Maysville area in Chaffee County. A neighbor called 911 to report that she had gone for a bike ride and never returned.

Investigators started rigorous searches in the area and created a tip line. Barry Morphew and a family friend said they were offering $200,000 for her safe return. Her bike and helmet were both found, but there was no sign of Suzanne. Investigators obtained DNA evidence from the bike, helmet and Suzannes vehicle.

Based on phone data, investigators said that Barrys cell phone showed that around the time his wife went missing, he turned onto a highway and passed where her bike helmet was ultimately found before turning around to go to work, according to his arrest affidavit. He told authorities he was following an elk.

Barry spoke with investigators and did not admit to any wrongdoing.

CBI forensic analysis determined that an unknown male DNA on the bike helmet, bike, Suzannes cars glovebox and the backseat of the car did not belong to Barry. That DNA was later determined to partially match DNA found in three out-of-state unsolved sexual assault investigations.

In late April 2021, CBI learned that the Chaffee County Sheriffs Office was going to arrest Barry, which was strongly opposed by two CBI agents, who cited the need for more forensic testing and evidence collection. According to the Motion for Discovery, the head of the Major Crimes Division of CBI reached out to the sheriff to advise against arresting Barry. The CBI director communicated the same afterward.

Almost a year after Suzanne disappeared, Barry was arrested on May 5, 2021 on multiple charges, including first-degree murder.

Barry also faced charges of tampering with physical evidence, attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with a deceased human body, and possession of a dangerous weapon. Barry pleaded not guilty to the charges. At the time of his arrest, the Chaffee County sheriff said he did not believe Suzanne was alive and they were not searching for any other suspects.

In a separate case, Barry was also charged with forgery after he allegedly submitted a mail ballot in his wife's name. He later pleaded guilty to forgery of a government-issued document in July 2022 and received a one-year deferred sentence and community service.

Denver7 covered each day of Barry's preliminary hearing in August 2021. To learn about the court discussions in depth, click to read day one here, day two here, day three here, and day four here. In total, the hearing included 20 hours of testimony and included enough evidence for the murder case to go to trial, Chaffee County Judge Patrick Murphy ruled in September 2021.

Prosecutors had argued that Barry discovered his wife was having an affair, then killed her, disposed of her body and staged a bike crash in a rural area.

The judge ruled on Sept. 17, 2021 that the case would go to trial. He also set a cash-only bond for $500,000.

Three days later, Barry was released on that bond and his 130-page arrest affidavit, which detailed the allegations into why he was arrested in connection with his wife's disappearance and alleged death, was made available to the public. The affidavit was authored on May 4, 2021.

A little more than a week after Barrys September 2021 release from jail, a woman who was suspected of having a relationship with Barry was arrested on a trespassing charge after allegedly entering the property of where the Morphews used to live. The woman was later arrested and identified as Shoshona L. Darke of Salida. She faced a charge of second-degree trespassing. In October 2021, Judge Murphy disqualified himself from that case, citing that one of the individuals representing Shoshona had a longtime friendship with the judge, which included their time in high school.

As a result of that move, Judge Murphy announced in December 2021 that he had also granted the motion to disqualify himself from the Morphew case due to a friendship with a possible witness's attorney. In early January 2022, Judge Ramsey L. Lama was appointed to take over the case.

According to documents obtained by Denver7 in October 2021, attorneys representing Barry said they intended to sue prosecutors and investigators for what they claim was unlawful arrest, malicious prosecution, and defamation. Attorneys said investigators omitted crucial evidence in the case, including DNA evidence from an alleged sex offender, and engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct. They said they intended to file a lawsuit against 26 individuals associated with the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office, the 11th Judicial District Attorneys Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The documents indicated that the attorneys alleged that DNA evidence found in the glovebox of Suzannes car matched the same profile as a single or multiple individuals across the country involved in sexual assault cases, and said that after a year of having the evidence, Chaffee County Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lindsey followed up on an individual in Phoenix who appeared to match the DNA profile found on Suzannes glovebox, but the Arizona individual refused to cooperate and retained a lawyer. As the case moved from the investigation stage into the courtroom, it gained more and more local and national attention, media coverage and negative pretrial publicity, according to an order. As a result of this, the court decided on Feb. 1, 2022 Barry could not receive a fair trial in Chaffee County, and the case was moved to Fremont County. The case was set to stay in the 11th Judicial District.

About a week after the announcement that the trial would move counties, Barry's defense team filed a motion to dismiss the first-degree murder case against him, noting that an investigator had recently called the arrest "premature." His attorneys claimed the remarks made by CBI Agent Joseph Cahill during a Dec. 2, 2021 internal affairs interview were grounds to dismiss the case. Cahill worked on the investigation shortly after Suzanne went missing. In the defenses motion, attorneys claimed that Cahill said Barrys arrest was premature and the worst decision that could be made.

On April 19, 2022, a Fremont County judge granted the prosecution's motion to dismiss the murder case against Barry. The motion asked the court to dismiss the charges without prejudice, meaning he could be tried again if prosecutors refile charges.

After this motion was granted, Barry's defense attorney Iris Eytan said there had not been "a single ounce" of physical evidence connecting Barry to Suzanne's death. She said her team was going to get Barry acquitted after a trial.

The two Morphew daughters who were 20 and 16 at the time of Suzanne's disappearance said their father isnt a killer and celebrated the dismissal of the case.

In mid-April 2023, Barry's attorney, Eytan, called for an investigation into the 11th Judicial District Attorney and the six other prosecutors in that office, citing a pattern of unethical conduct. Eytan filed a complaint March 29 with the Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation asking for discipline for District Attorney Linda Stanley and the other prosecutors who worked on the murder case against Barry.

About two weeks later, Barry filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in early May 2023 seeking $15 million over his arrest and first-degree murder charge in 2021. In the 185-page suit, he claimed his Constitutional rights were violated by the defendants and that his arrest affidavit included false and misleading information and, as a result, he was wrongly held in jail for about five months.

A few weeks later, in an interview with Good Morning America, Barry said authorities in Colorado have been wrong to focus on him as the person responsible for the death of his wife.

Suzannes remains were found in September 2023 in Saguache County.

The autopsy report confirmed her death was a homicide after a mix of powerful sedatives and an opioid painkiller was detected in her system.

ARVADA, Colo. One of the driest winters on record has Colorado facing elevated wildfire danger and is leading some homeowners across the state to turn to automated exterior sprinkler systems for protection. And insurance experts continue to stress the need to be prepared and adopt multiple fire mitigation steps.

Kersten and Hunter Bishop call Arvada home. They told Denver7 Investigates that they decided to invest in Frontline Wildfire Defense after last winters high wind power shutoffs and the memory of the 2021 Marshall Fire, which damaged and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Boulder County.

WATCH: Denver7 Investigates' Jenn Kovaleski learns more about how this technology can help homeowners protect their houses from wildfires.

"We had a really bad winter," Hunter Bishop said. "It really kind of brought about the fear that the Marshall Fire could happen again."

Frontlines automated exterior sprinkler system mounts along eaves and rooflines and can trigger automatically or by remote. The company said it targets the most dangerous wildfire threat to homes: wind-driven embers.

Harry Statter, the company's CEO and founder, explained that the sprinklers wet materials outside the home so when those embers land, they don't ignite.

Statter said the sprinklers have backup power designed to keep it running even if the electrical grid shuts down, and the system connects to real-time wildfire tracking data nationwide.

The company said Colorado has become its second fastest-growing market in the country, behind California.

"There's a fire history in Colorado and folks are aware of it," Statter said.

The company said their systems costs tens of thousands of dollars, though financing options are available. A partnership between Frontline and insurance company STAND has launched in California, offering lower insurance premiums to homeowners who install the system.

That partnership has not yet expanded to Colorado.

The Bishops said Hunter's father built their Arvada home in the late 1960s.

Losing it would mean erasing decades of family memories, a concern they said became harder to ignore after watching the Palisades Fire tear through Southern California. The fire destroyed thousands of homes in LA County and killed more than 30 people.

"That was a huge fire. And it was, I think, eye-opening," Kersten said.

It spurred the couple to think of what they could do proactively to protect their Arvada home from a fast-moving fire.

"There's a lot of memories with this property," Hunter said.

The company said their systems costs tens of thousands of dollars, though financing options are available. A partnership between Frontline and insurance company STAND has launched in California, offering lower insurance premiums to homeowners who install the system. That partnership has not yet expanded to Colorado.

The Palisades Fire became a proving ground for Frontline's technology, Statter told Denver7 Investigates.

Cell phone videos provided to Denver7 Investigates showed California homes equipped with Frontline systems still standing while neighboring homes burned to the ground.

Of the 61 homes in that area that were equipped with sprinklers at the time of the fire, 59 survived with minimal or no damage.

"Seems the sprinkler systems did their job I can see it's still wet," one homeowner said in a cell phone video after returning to find their home intact.

Statter said the results demonstrate the system's potential to protect homes at a larger scale.

"We could provide protection at scale, right? And that's what we're doing across the western U.S.," Statter said.

Colorado insurance experts say systems like Frontline's are promising, but caution that they should not replace proven wildfire mitigation strategies.

"Everyone is on high alert that we're in for a scary wildfire season and for insurance, what that means is we need to be prepared," said Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association.

She said homeowners should look at the system as a tool in the toolbox, while not bypassing proven mitigation techniques. She added that homeowners should also maintain "the right amount of defensible space around your home, have the right fire-resistant roof."

Statter agreed that no single solution is enough on its own.

"It takes a comprehensive set of mitigations to really, truly protect a home," Statter said.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. For some people, a job is just a paycheck. For Cara DeCamp, Dusty Schrage and Jack Marks, work means purpose, community and pride.

This year, Arc recognized each of them as 2026 Arc Heroes for their years of advocacy, leadership and joy in the work they do.

WATCH: Denver7's Jaclyn Allen sits down with longtime employees honored as 2026 Arc Heroes

One of the first hires at Arcs Centennial store 10 years ago, Cara De Camp has done a little bit of everything: greeting customers at the door, stocking bookshelves, organizing shoes and working the clothing racks.

I'm happy people come in shopping, she said with a smile.

Caras mother, Claire DeCamp, says her daughters positive spirit never wavers.

Shes the nicest person Ive ever met, happy every day, never an unkind word. She doesnt know how to be mean, Claire De Camp said.

When the store surprised her with the Arc Hero award, staff formed a chain and applauded as Cara told them, I won, I won!

Arc Store Manager Ed King, who hired Cara, says shes grown in confidence and skill.

Shes indicative of the type of individual who comes here, finds new opportunities and does something different than they ever would have done otherwise, he said.

Dusty Schrages careful, precise way of hanging clothes checking zippers, buttons and colorcoordinating is his trademark after 15 years at Arc.

Work is pretty fun, he says. Its like chores!

His mom, Pam Tromanhauser, says Arc transformed her sons life, especially compared to his first job in another state, where he was paid just 14 cents an hour.

When we moved to Colorado, Arc paid him fairly and gave him raises as his skills improved, she said. Its given him a career, a purpose and a place to call home.

Dusty loves being recognized as a hero. Yes, I am a hero, he said with a smile. Its pretty fun, and I like to do all the different things for the rest of my life.

Jack Marks has been at Arc for nearly 22 years and said the Greeley store is like a family to him.

What is Arcs mission? Well, thats a simple one, he said. To help those with developmental disabilities.

His work ranges from packing donations to assisting with cleanouts, but the connection with coworkers stands out most.

Every store is its own family of workers, Jack said. Youve got to help your family.

For more than 50 years, Arc Thrift Stores has been part of Colorado communities, providing affordable shopping while funding programs that advocate for and empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Denver7 is a proud partner with Arc Thrift Stores for their fundraising gala, which will be held in September 2026.

Denver7's Jaclyn Allen will emcee as your Denver7 team walks the runway in an Arc Thrift fashion show alongside this years Arc Heroes and Arc Ambassadors.

A Colorado man will serve nearly two decades in federal prison after he used Facebook Marketplace to target victims, shooting one and stealing two high-end cars, Denver7 Investigates has found.

WATCH: Denver7 Investigates' Jennifer Kovaleski dug into this case and shares a warning for others who buy and sell items via social media.

Its a case prosecutors and law enforcement hope will serve as a warning for people trying to sell items on social media.

Alec Deschryver, 26, was sentenced to 18 years in prison earlier this month after pleading guilty to two counts of carjacking. Prosecutors said he was targeting luxury cars for sale, like Mercedes Benz, and the sellers through Facebook Marketplace.

District of Colorado U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly prosecuted the case and called Deschryver a violent and determined criminal.

Court records show the first robbery occurred in Loveland in October 2023, when Deschryver used his Facebook account to set up a meeting to look at a Mercedes sedan.

The husband of the woman who posted the vehicle went on the test drive and got carjacked at gunpoint, McNeilly said.

A month later, officers with the Denver Police Department came across a very similar case, but this time the victim was shot in the thigh while he was removing a car seat from the back of the vehicle.

WATCH Jennifer Kovaleski's report in the player below |

It was an escalating pattern of conduct, McNeilly said.

Chris Ashbridge, special agent in charge of the Denver Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said his office became involved and helped bring the two cases together, using surveillance video, online messages and ballistics. It helped turn the two carjackings into one federal prosecution.

We were able to take what may have appeared to be isolated incidents and connect them into a string of violent crimes, Ashbridge said. Violent criminals they value property more than they value another human beings life.

McNeilly warned that criminals are targeting online marketplaces and urged anyone who buys or sells items online to take protective steps before meeting anyone face to face.

He said this case is a prime example of how quickly a sale can turn violent. He recommends that people set up meetings at public places and police-designated areas.

We turn to these sites because its fast and its easy. Be careful where you arrange things to happen. Bringing someone to your house is a risky practice, McNeilly said. Do whatever you can to verify who these people are ahead of time and try to see if their profile matches the nature of the communications.

Defense attorneys for the man accused of murdering a 25-year-old woman in Yuma told the court Thursday that they intend to withdraw from the case due to a conflict of interest.

This comes just weeks after the trial of Clifton Boggess was delayed after prosecutors said they had newly discovered evidence, while they were in the middle of jury selection.

At a subsequent hearing last month where the trial was rescheduled for November, defense attorneys said they had a potential conflict of interest with a new witness.

On Thursday, after discussing a motion the defense filed, District Attorney Travis Sides stated that he fully intended to call this witness at the trial. The defense said that they had spent hours looking for a way to remain on the case, but would ethically have to withdraw if this witness was called.

Judge Dina Christiansen said she wanted the defense to submit their intent to withdraw in writing and the court would then seek to find Boggess new counsel.

Boggess, 63, faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, connected with the death of 25-year-old Britani Meek.

Denver7 Investigates has followed the case against Clifton Boggess for years.

Meek was reported missing in October 2023 from Yuma. Nearly one month after she disappeared, on Nov. 22, 2023, law enforcement found her body but did not immediately reveal where or how they found her.

Boggess will be back in court at 10 a.m. June 29.

For nearly two years, Stephanie Williams thought she had a good tenant who paid rent on time, sometimes even a month in advance.

In 2024, she leased her west Denver home to a woman who identified herself as Ann Schwab, and everything seemed in order. Williams ran a background check before sending Schwab the lease, and she said it came back clean.

But when the rent payments suddenly stopped in March, Williams quickly realized she had bigger problems than just a delinquent tenant.

She did some investigating and noticed one of the previous payments had come from a woman by the name of Heather Ruybal. After a Google search, she found an extensive criminal history that included a six-year prison sentence for identity theft in Colorado and more than 20 evictions across both Colorado and Texas.

WATCH: Police records show Heather Ruybal is notorious in Colorado and Texas for a flood of evictions over a stretch spanning nearly two decades, Denver7 Investigates found

As it turned out, Williams' tenant the entire time was a woman notorious in both states for a flood of evictions over a stretch spanning nearly two decades.

Literally, my stomach dropped because it just is all over the internet, Williams said.

An extensive search of police records show Ruybal has used multiple different names on leases and has been accused of forging records and pay stubs prior to leasing, only to default on her agreements within a few months in most cases.

It's a seven-page rap sheet, Williams said. The list goes on and on and on.

Other former landlords, such as Kelly Lyons, said that Ruybal has perfected a way to take advantage of the eviction cycle.

She has not paid the price, Lyons said.

Lyons was managing a rental home owned by his daughter, who had moved out of state. He said he thought he leased to a woman named Ann Ruybal who provided documents that showed she made more than $100,000 per year certainly enough to rent his daughters house in Thornton.

But he said the first check Ruybal gave Lyons upon signing the lease was returned a week later and it took months for the eviction to go through.

She knows her rights better than the lawyers know her rights, Lyons said. Shes really good.

Some of the court records from previous homes where Ruybal failed to pay rent show that the houses often needed extensive repairs, costing the owners thousands of dollars.

Unfortunately for Williams, she soon learned that was also the case with her home. She would come to find out that, despite continuing to pay rent, Ruybal had moved out months earlier. Her 31-year-old son, who was not on the lease, was living there.

When Williams called police to have the son trespassed from the property, he ran. An affidavit states he cut off an ankle monitor and was later found in a stolen car and arrested. Hes currently in prison. Court records show he also has a lengthy criminal history with multiple theft and drug charges.

Williams returned to the home and found the windows boarded up and drug paraphernalia throughout the house. She documented everything with pictures and had the house tested. The results showed the house was contaminated with methamphetamine. The levels were eight times higher than what is deemed safe by the state.

Denvers Department of Health and Environment said it declared the house uninhabitable. Williams said she spent tens of thousands of dollars on mitigation before it was recently found safe to occupy.

The worst-case scenario I think pretty much happened to me. So that's where Im at, Williams said. "Its a mess.

Despite years of evictions across two states dating back to 2007, Ruybal seemed to avoid any serious consequences for more than a decade. But in 2018, the law caught up after court records show she used her aunts and fathers names to get a lease in Adams County.

She was charged and eventually convicted of identity theft. She was sentenced to six years in prison. The Colorado Department of Corrections confirmed she served just over three years of that sentence and was discharged from parole in 2022.

Shortly after that, records show Ruybal rented Lyons home in 2023 and was reported to the police again after failing to pay rent. Adams County prosecutors charged her with theft, but this time, she was sentenced to 18 months probation.

I thought that it was going to be jail time," Lyons said. "I think that she should get jail time. I mean, shes done damage to a lot of peoples' homes.

Attorney Robert Schifferdecker specializes in landlord-tenant law and said Ruybals first prison stint clearly didnt correct the issue.

Shes been able to do this so many times for so many years in so many different places, Schifferdecker said. People like this, they're really just judgment-proof. You can get a money judgment against them, but that doesn't mean you're gonna get any money from them.

Ruybals legal issues continue as last week, Denver Police featured her on its Facebook page as part of its Mugshot Monday series. The post states that shes wanted for felony theft and a police report states shes accused of stealing nearly $500,000 from her previous employer, where she was working as an accountant.

Denver Police said she turned herself in on June 5. She received a $10,000 bond and was released over the weekend. She is due back in court June 22.

Denver7 Investigates made multiple attempts to contact Ruybal and called several phone numbers associated with her. The number Williams had when Ruybal was living at her house was disconnected.

Her last known address was in Castle Rock, but no one was at the house. Neighbors said she hadnt been seen in a couple weeks and police were at the house the week prior, but there was no answer at the door.

Denver7 Investigates also found that she is set for a trial in Dallas next month on fraud charges stemming from a 2023 case where she is accused of using a fake name to obtain a lease. She was slated to have a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

Her attorney in that case told Denver7 Investigates that he was unaware of any charges in Colorado, but said she was innocent of the charges in Texas and was looking forward to her day in court.

For Williams, shes maintaining hope that there will be accountability for Ruybal.

You've been doing this for too long, and your time's up, she said.

Summer vacation season is here, and Denver7 Investigates is hearing from more Coloradans frustrated by costly surprises and misleading bookings when planning their getaways.

WATCH: Denver7 Investigates' Jaclyn Allen has tips to avoid costly travel booking mistakes

Eagle County resident Mourghan Ridenour was planning a hockey trip to Denver for her family last month.

"I have two boys that play hockey and we travel and book hotels all the time," she said.

She thought she had booked a room directly through Marriott. But when they arrived, there was no reservation.

Ridenour had unknowingly booked through a thirdparty site with hundreds of negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau.

"I kept calling and calling, getting different people. What they kept saying is, 'Oh, our system is needing to upload. Oh, it hasn't been updated,'" she said. "It was a lot of excuses, but the money was never brought back."

She eventually got her $288 back after disputing the debit card charge through her bank.

"All my friends and family, we're all so busy trying to do five things at once, so you're not noticing this, which from now on I'm going to," she said.

The BBB says it has seen nearly 300 complaints and 550 negative reviews involving vacationrelated bookings from Colorado in the past year.

Cameron Nakashima with the BBB said fake booking websites and impostor listings are common.

"They give you a fake booking number, and then it's not until later that you realize you've been out all this money and you don't actually have a flight booked," Nakashima said.

He says fraudsters even make fake property listings on platforms like VRBO and Airbnb.

"They'll go on to places like VRBO and these other trusted sites, and they'll create fake listings, and those platforms are working hard to weed those out, but it does get through every once in a while," Nakashima said.

The BBB recommends:

Denver7 has also reported on rental car issues, including a Commerce City rental car location where customers said charges increased dramatically from addons and unexpected fees.

While Routes said they were making changes, other rental car companies have similar complaints.

"You realize what seems to be the least expensive option at first, actually, there's all these little fees, like the administrative fee, the gas refill fee, the inspection fees, all these little things that weren't clear up front, and now you're paying in a lot of cases like hundreds of dollars more by the end of your trip than what you had budgeted," Nakashima said.

Bottom line: Research before you book, check reviews and BBB ratings, and read the fine print.

Sometimes, the cheapest option really is too good to be true.

If you believe youve been misled in a booking, you can file a complaint at bbb.org and report fraud to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Or reach out to the Colorado Attorney General.

An Aurora man called it "a bad choice," as the Choice Home Warranty he thought would give him peace of mind when major appliances or systems broke down instead cost him thousands of dollars and left him without coverage when he needed it most.

Saul Lewis, a semiretired property manager, said he bought five "platinum" Choice Home Warranty (CHW) policies, covering his home and rental properties.

Each cost a little over $1,500, he said, and he thought they would cover "everything across the board" with just a $75 deductible.

"Choice appeared to have a good reputation, but every time we filed a claim, they found a reason not to cover an item," Lewis said. "Youre paying for service, peace of mind, and you think you have it paid for, and you dont."

In April, Lewis 19yearold air conditioner failed. He believed his warranty covered all components and parts for HVAC systems. But weeks later, he said CHW denied his claim, citing "a restriction in the system, not normal wear and tear."

He said the decision was vague and unsupported.

"They wouldn't repair it, and they wouldn't give me any information supporting why they can't fix or replace it," he said.

Watch Jaclyn Allen's report in the player below:

Last year, Lewis said, the company also denied his claim to replace a broken range hood exhaust fan, despite the warranty listing ovens, ranges, and exhaust fans as covered. After he appealed, he said, the company paid him $300 for a repair that cost him $1,200 out of pocket.

The Better Business Bureau reports thousands of complaints nationwide about Choice Home Warranty.

In response to Denver7s questions, the Colorado Division of Real Estate said home warranty service contracts are not regulated in Colorado.

In a statement, David L. Donnelly, Education, Communication & Policy Manager for the division, said: "In Colorado, there is no regulatory program associated with home warranty service contracts."

That means customers whose claims are denied may need to pursue private legal action or file complaints with the BBB.

In February, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the largest settlement with a home warranty company in state history: an $11.8 million agreement with Choice Home Warranty to "reform its sales practices and provide meaningful disclosure to consumers prior to selling warranties."

Choice Home Warranty denies the allegations and has not admitted wrongdoing.

The AGs lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleged Choice misrepresented coverage and failed to replace air conditioning units and other appliances it had advertised as covered.

In a news conference, Mayes said, "These families thought that they were buying peace of mind. They paid for warranties believing they would cover major repairs or replacements when air conditioning units failed in the brutal Arizona heat, or when their water heaters gave out, or when their appliances broke down. But when they needed that coverage the most, Choice Home Warranty was not there for them.

Her office said more than 1,500 Arizona customers had complained about the company since 2013.

Complaints included alleged failures to disclose exclusions and limitations, and outright misrepresentations of what repairs or replacements the warranties would cover.

The Arizona case followed a $780,000 settlement with the New Jersey Attorney General in 2015, where the company also agreed to revise its business practices.

At the Arizona AGs press conference in February, Scottsdale homeowner Roger Penchek described how his AC compressor failed in 108degree heat.

His contractor diagnosed "normal wear and tear," the type of failure the warranty covered, but Penchek said Choice reclassified it to deny coverage: "They seemed to fabricate a reason why they would not pay. They overrode their own contractors findings. They twisted technical language to manufacture an exclusion."

Another customer, Philip Anglotti Jr., told reporters about his 93yearold father, a veteran, who also faced a denied AC claim and never received the reimbursement he was promised after canceling his policies: "They made it clear they had no intention of honoring their commitment. They just wanted him to give up."

Joe Ducey from the Better Business Bureau, speaking in Arizona, urged consumers to research home warranty companies before buying: "You can look at complaints on BBB.org check deductibles, caps, and whether normal wear and tear is covered. Know the exclusions before you sign."

Denver7 Investigates reached out to Choice Home Warranty with detailed questions about Lewis' experience and the broader complaints. A representative responded that they will "send the information to the appropriate person, who will reply back to you on how we will be moving forward." No reply has been received as of our deadline.

Lewis, who still has another year left on his policies, said he wont be filing more claims.

"I really believe it's an issue that the state ought to take up. They shouldnt allow companies to operate freely, making millions of dollars off our citizens and have no consequences," he said.

He hoped sharing his story would prevent others from facing the same fight: "I want to share my story so people dont get taken."

It sounds too good to be true: free groceries from Medicare.

Denver7 Investigates found advertisements promoting these offers popping up online and on streaming platforms, often with urgent enrollment deadlines.

For seniors coping with high grocery prices, the pitch can be tempting.

To find out whats behind it, Denver7 Investigates called one of the numbers featured in a recent ad.

On the other end of the line, a representative answered, stating she was a licensed insurance specialist on a recorded line.

When asked about the free Medicare grocery card, the agent replied, Those plans run through your Medicare Advantage plan, and the Medicare Advantage plan is whats offering the grocery allowance card. So it just depends on what Medicare Advantage plan that you have and what you qualify for.

In other words, the free Medicare grocery card is actually a grocery allowance benefit offered by certain Medicare Advantage plans.

Watch Jaclyn Allen's report in the player below:

The companys job is to enroll callers into a plan something consumers can do themselves by contacting Medicare or their provider directly.

Mark Fetterhoff, program manager for AARP ElderWatch, said the way these offers are presented raises concerns.

Were getting calls on our helpline. People are confused, wondering if its real, Fetterhoff said.

Urgent language is one of the red flags.

'Hurry up, act now' is a great excuse to say, 'Im going to take a step back and Im going to do my research,' he said.

Medicare does not have a standard grocery benefit, though some Medicare Advantage plans may offer perks like grocery or gift cards.

These offers are legitimate within those plans, but Fetterhoff said they should be explored through trusted, unbiased resources and not aggressive marketing.

Problematic ads are not confined to television and streaming.

Theres a lot of deceptive ads that were seeing on social media, Fetterhoff said.

A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that misleading Medicare Advantage ads reached more than 215 million views on Meta platforms in the past year, mostly from seniors.

Some ads impersonated government agencies or used deepfake celebrity endorsements.

Others pressured people to share personal information or switch to plans that may leave them worse off.

The Federal Trade Commission stated seniors have lost billions of dollars to scams like these, and lawsuits have been filed alleging that Meta profited from hosting them.

Fetterhoff advises seniors to use free, unbiased programs such as the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to navigate plan options.

Again, kind of taking all the noise out of this process is a really important thing to do, and going to trusted resources rather than kind of the flashy ads that were seeing on TV and on social media is the best way to go, he said.

Seniors can verify benefits or get help navigating Medicare through Medicares helpline at 1800MEDICARE or at medicare.gov. Colorado residents can reach Colorado SHIP at 18888809191.

Additional trusted resources to check benefits include:

Experts say the safest approach is to work directly with Medicare, your current plan, or qualified state and nonprofit advisors who can confirm benefits without exposing you to unnecessary sales pressure.

DENVER The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it is investigating the Cherry Creek School District, alleging that it sponsors a wide range of racially discriminatory programming."

According to a press release, the departments Office for Civil Rights will look into allegations that the school district sponsors clubs that exclude students based on race, requires teachers to consider race when assigning classes and provides differing levels of academic support based on race.

The investigation will determine whether the district violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating on the basis of race.

The school district issued a statement Monday afternoon, stating the announcement mischaracterizes the districts programs.

We strongly disagree with the characterization of District programming, a Cherry Creek Schools spokesperson wrote in the statement. The District has not yet received a copy of the complaint. Without the complaint, we are not in a position to respond further.

The Department of Education press release also highlighted the school districts Voices of Color parent committee, which it alleges grants preferential access and participation based on race and denies other parents an equal opportunity to participate in decisions that directly impact education.

The Cherry Creek Schools website states that the Voice of Color committees mission is to foster an inclusive and safe environment to support the success of students of color.

These allegations of racially discriminatory conduct in this District seem to permeate almost every aspect of the school community, affecting students, teachers, and parents alike, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey stated in the Department of Education's press release. Federal law prohibits racial discrimination, which means that race cannot be a factor in how the school educates its students or trains its teachers. Despite this, the District seems to be basing decisions about how to support students, teachers and parents solely on race. The Trump Administration will fully investigate these allegations and enforce federal education law to the fullest extent.

This is the third school district in the metro area that the Trump Administration has investigated for supposed violations.

Last year, the Department of Education stated that Denver Public Schools violated Title IX by creating gender-neutral restrooms.

In March, the administration announced that it was giving Jefferson County Schools 10 days to reverse policies that allow transgender students to compete in girls sports and access girls' restrooms and other accommodations.

Last week, the Department of Education issued a warning letter to Jeffco Schools, stating that impending action would be taken in 10 days. The district responded by saying that the findings were based on an erroneous claim.