Defending Colorado Identity Theft and Financial Exploitation Charges
October 27, 2026
White collar crimes are serious offenses that are often prosecuted federally. If convicted, you could face serious criminal consequences, such as substantial fines and lengthy prison sentences, together with seizure of assets and other civil actions.
The term “white collar crime” generally refers to financial crimes that are committed with the intention of fraudulently obtaining financial gain. Common examples include tax fraud, securities fraud, insurance fraud, and insider trading.
White collar crimes are much more complex than most other criminal [...]
A 36-year-old Fruita woman was recently accused of collecting almost $10,000 in unemployment benefits while she was, in fact, employed.
The investigation began in 2017, when a random audit of one of the suspect’s employers revealed that she had been employed while collecting unemployment benefits. She is now facing multiple felony-level charges of fraud, theft, and computer crimes.
The process of filing for unemployment and receiving benefits is complex – meaning that it is common for people to intentionally exploit [...]
Undoubtedly you have heard of both fraud and forgery, and you probably know that both are illegal acts punishable by the laws of Colorado. You might not realize, though, that forgery is actually a specific type of fraud. Or that there are six different laws in our state statutes related to the act of forgery.
This is important to understand, because most people’s understanding of what forgery is only encompasses some of these charges. You need to know what the [...]
There are a lot of good things that have come from legalizing marijuana in our state. Tax money collected from the marijuana industry has been used for programs around the state. Police have been able to focus their efforts on more serious offenses. Colorado has even developed a new tourism industry based largely on the legalization of marijuana.
Unfortunately, while marijuana legalization is still doing great things for our state, the industry is showing signs of getting spoiled by white [...]
What do Enron, Bernie Madoff, Charles Ponzi, Tyco International, Jack Abramoff, and WorldCom have in common?
Although it might sound like the beginning of a bad joke, the men and companies on this list have all been involved in white collar criminal activity and are notorious for their crimes. They might seem like heroes to some. Stealing money from others and keeping it for themselves. But they aren’t heroes. They’re criminals. I make this point not to pass further judgment [...]
Defending against Colorado identity theft and financial exploitation charges often begins with a close look at what prosecutors can actually prove about knowledge, intent, permission, authority, and the movement or use of money and identifying information.
Colorado identity theft can be charged as a class 4 felony, while criminal exploitation of an at-risk person involving $500 or more can be charged as a class 3 felony. Related allegations may also involve possession of financial devices, gathering identity information by deception, [...]
There is no single statute of limitations that applies to every Colorado sexual assault or sex crime allegation. Depending on the exact charge, the alleged victim’s age, when the conduct allegedly occurred, whether DNA evidence identifies a suspect, when the offense was reported, and whether the accused spent time outside Colorado, prosecutors may have 20 years, a different statutory period, or no time limit at all.
Those distinctions matter most when an allegation surfaces years or even decades after the [...]
Extradition is about where a criminal case will be handled—not whether the person is guilty. If someone is arrested in Colorado on another state’s warrant, the immediate questions are usually whether to waive extradition, whether bail is available, how long the process may take, and what can actually be challenged before the person is returned.
The same issue can run in the other direction. A person may be arrested in another state because Colorado issued the warrant. In that situation, [...]