Colorado Fentanyl Possession Laws: Charges, Penalties, and Enhanced Sentencing Risks
August 24, 2026
Denver residents may love the story of the Grinch, but right now they are fighting back against real-life grinches who go around stealing presents and packages from their neighbors.
Denver7 has recently encouraged residents to speak up and hit record when they see “porch pirates” stealing packages. The station is committed to sharing and playing the videos they receive until thieves are caught.
It’s an important reminder: in this era of smartphones and doorbell cameras, it is easier than ever [...]
See if this sounds familiar: “If cops don’t have to worry about arresting people for marijuana, they can pay attention to crimes that actually matter.”
Most of us have heard numerous variations of this argument over the years, but until 2012, it was just theoretical. Then Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana, and researchers and statisticians started chomping at the bit.
Well, a few weeks ago a study was published in Police Quarterly that seems to possibly validate those types [...]
A Colorado Springs man recently arrived home to find his home being burglarized. When he confronted the burglar, the burglar pulled a firearm on the homeowner and pointed it at him as he ran away.
That wasn’t the end, though.
According to police, the homeowner then got into his car and chased the suspect, and came into contact with two more alleged accomplices. All of the suspects were able to flee the crime scene, so the investigation is ongoing.
This [...]
Two car thieves could face increased charges for allegedly injuring a man who tried to stop them in the act. What happened?
A man was sitting outside his home in the Colorado Springs area when two individuals allegedly entered his garage to steal his vehicle. When the two individuals reportedly started to drive the vehicle away, the owner jumped on the back to try to stop the theft. He was dragged for a few hundred yards before falling off and [...]
In Lafayette, shoplifting at the Wal-Mart Supercenter has become an epidemic, according to the municipal judge. In 2017, the town had 260 cases of shoplifting, as compared with 57 in the previous year. Almost all of the cases were committed at Wal-Mart.
The store’s officials say that they have lost nearly $1 million in profit due to shoplifting in recent years. Two years ago, the store hired a loss prevention officer who has used more aggressive tactics to identify shoplifters.[...]
Colorado fentanyl possession charges can become serious felonies at relatively low weight thresholds. The law focuses on the weight of the material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing fentanyl rather than only the amount of pure fentanyl inside it. That means a small-looking quantity of powder or counterfeit pills can result in a much more serious charge once the substance is tested and weighed.
Weight is only part of the case. What the accused person knew, whether the state can prove [...]
Colorado COCCA charges are racketeering charges used when prosecutors claim a person participated in an enterprise through a pattern of criminal activity. These cases often grow out of drug, theft, burglary, fraud, identity theft, or financial investigations that are later reframed as organized conduct.
A COCCA count is not automatic just because several people were charged together or because prosecutors believe more than one crime occurred. The state must prove specific structural elements, including an enterprise and a pattern of [...]
Most criminal cases in Denver do not end with a jury verdict. They end with a decision: whether to accept a plea agreement, reject the offer, keep negotiating, or prepare for trial. That decision can shape your record, your freedom, your sentence, your probation terms, and your future long after the court date.
A plea bargain is not just “taking a deal.” It is a legal agreement that may involve reduced charges, dismissed counts, sentencing limits, probation terms, restitution, treatment [...]