Mom always said don’t pick your nose in public.
But, according to authorities, Mark Hazlett, accused of being the man known as the “Booger Bandit,” did exactly that as he was cashing a stolen check. The nasal no-no was captured by a surveillance camera.
Prosecutors on Thursday unsealed a 97-count indictment by the Denver grand jury that identified Hazlett, 39, and four others as the masterminds behind a widespread criminal enterprise.
They allegedly engaged in money and check counterfeiting. With a number of confederates, authorities said, they passed the checks and fake money at banks and grocery stores.
The picture of the man dubbed the “Booger Bandit” by Aurora police led directly to the unraveling of a ring that burglarized houses and cars. Stolen information from the homes was used to pass stolen checks and used on counterfeit checks.
Denver officials praised Aurora police for using the picture of the “Booger Bandit” to help solve the case.
“They received a videotape, which they believed showed someone cashing a check that was stolen in one of a series of burglaries they were investigating,” said Denver prosecutor Ken Laff.
“As it happened, the person in the picture, whom we believe was Mr. Hazlett, had an unfortunate juxtaposition of his finger and nose,” Laff said.
Lynn Kimbrough, spokesperson for the Denver district attorney’s office, said the picture “helped break the case.”
In addition to counterfeiting, the indictment said, the Denver-based ring stole cars and guns, and possessed drugs.
The other alleged ringleaders were identified as Kasey Blake Gruver, 30, Jennifer Wilson, 24, Guadalupe “Jay” Garcia, 26, and Daniel Campbell, 27.
All but Garcia “were the clearinghouses for stolen merchandise, automobiles, firearms and stolen personal and financial information,” the grand jury said.
They allegedly worked in association with 11 other people from June to this month.
In all, 16 people were indicted.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
