Community activist Alvertis Simmons, who provided security for the NBA All-Star Weekend in February at the Colorado Convention Center, was indicted Thursday on charges of forging a document that paved the way for his company to be hired for the event.
Simmons, 48, could not be reached for comment.
Simmons, the former coordinator of Denver’s Neighborhood Watch Program, has long been associated with the local Million Man March and earlier this year was event coordinator for the Poor People’s Community Breakfast. He has been a vocal critic of the management of Aurora Mall and the lack of involvement of black contractors in a $100 million mall redevelopment.
The indictment claimed that a number of municipal code violations came to light Feb. 18 when a Denver police officer working security for the event recognized one security guard as a felon on parole for murder. The guard was escorting high-profile celebrities around the convention center, the indictment said.
As a result, Simmons and some members of his security company were arrested or told to leave the convention center by police. The indictment said that Denver has detailed requirements in its municipal code for operating security companies, including that they be licensed by the city.
The security company formed by Simmons and a man identified as Randall Craven did not have the license, the indictment said. The code also provides qualifications for individual security guards and requires them to be licensed. The indictment said that it is unlawful for a security company to hire a security guard who doesn’t have a license.
None of the security crew provided by the company formed by Simmons and Craven was licensed, the indictment said. Most of the guards provided by the company had criminal records that disqualified them under the municipal code, and Simmons recruited guards from a halfway house, the indictment said.
The code also requires an adequate performance bond. Contemporary Services Corp., which provided security inside the convention center and had subcontracted with Simmons and Craven to provide some security guards, had required Simmons to have a valid insurance policy in effect in order to be hired. In an effort to meet that requirement, the indictment alleged, on Feb. 15 Simmons faxed a forged certificate of liability insurance to Contemporary Services. Conviction of forgery carries a prison term of one to three years.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or pankratz@denverpost.com.
