News

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adepoju Babtunde Salako, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. As part of the plea agreement, Salako also agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of wire fraud in the District of Alaska. The defendant was ordered to pay $2,581,002.50 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.

DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Thomas Galiano III, 26, of Colorado Springs, and Hailee Anne Helton, 26, of Colorado Springs were separately sentenced after each pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with an intent to distribute a substance containing fentanyl. Galiano III was sentenced to 144 months. Helton was sentenced to 168 months.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Nicholas T. Benevento, also known as Derrick Jones, 44, of Arvada, was indicted on one count of knowingly manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute a substance containing alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP) near a playground, and one count of maintaining a drug house to manufacture alpha-PVP. This illegal substance is more commonly known by the name ‘bath salts.’

DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Bryan Cornwell, 42, formerly of Norwood, Colorado, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after being convicted by a jury of two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Cornwell was also sentenced to serve a three-year term of supervised release. 

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jean Torres-Roman, 22, of Venezuela, and Newman Castillo Delgado, 23, of Venezuela were each sentenced after pleading guilty to charges related to the armed robbery of the Joyeria El Ruby Jewelry Store in Denver in June 2024. Torres-Roman was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison. Castillo Delgado was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison. The court also ordered each defendant to pay restitution of $3,939,076.26.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jorge Torres-Perez, 29, of Venezuela, is facing one count of assault on a federal officer, one count of threatening to assault or kill a federal officer, and one count of destruction of government property.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announce that Ashley Marie Stevens, 40, of Mesa County, and Wesam Yassin, 42, of Douglas County,  have been separately charged with defrauding Medicaid’s non-emergent medical transportation program. Stevens faces six counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of health care fraud, and six counts of money laundering. Yassin faces six counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of health care fraud, and eight counts of money laundering.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dario Perez Quintero, 34, formerly of Denver, Colorado; Guadalupe Mendoza Martinez, 46, of Aurora, Colorado; Pedro Mendoza Martinez, 54, of Aurora, Colorado; Abimael Felix Luque, 32, of Aurora, Colorado; David Uvaldo Mora Sanchez, 32, formerly of Aurora, Colorado; Hector Joel Quijada Portillo, 30, of Commerce City, Colorado; Oscar Noel Ruelas Molina, 44, of Aurora, Colorado; and Jose Alexis Guzman Felix, 30, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, were indicted this week on charges related to weapons possession, money

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Justin Welsh, 32, of Peyton, Colorado, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Additionally, Welsh will serve a 20-year-term of supervised release and is ordered to pay a $10,000 special assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act (AVAA).

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mario Rocha, 27, Rocky Ford, Colorado, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jason Cisneros, 34, Denver, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence after a crime spree in Denver in March 2025.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ashley Blackcloud, 40, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after a jury found her guilty in May 2025.  Blackcloud and co-defendant Derrick Bernard were convicted after a trial on charges that they conspired to threaten or convey false information about a threat: a burning cross placed in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign, which they had defaced with a racial slur written in red spray paint.  After staging the cross burning, Blackcloud, Bernard and