Eight Westminster residents were indicted after a year-long grand jury investigation into an auto theft ring that stole about 350 vehicles, authorities said today.
The suspects are in custody, each on $75,000 bail, and charged with violating the state’s Organized Crime Control Act, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said.
“These eight indictments demonstrate what cooperation among law enforcement agencies can accomplish,” Suthers said in a statement.
Those indicted involved at least two families and friends of those suspects, who all lived near each other, the AG’s spokesman Nate Strauch said.
The indictment names Ma Lee, 28, Dennis Godbolt, 25, Tony Lo, 26, Kou Lo, 22, Jason Cheng, 21, Lu Vang, 33, Thong Lor, 26, and Kong Lor, 19, as charged with violating the crime control act, according to a news release. Ma Lee and Kou Lo also were charged with theft by receiving, a class-4 felony.
The suspects allegedly ran a theft ring that was active in the Denver-area and Ft. Collins from August 2005 to May 2006, authorities said. The proceeds from the sale of stolen auto parts and car stereos were used to fund the suspects’ methamphetamine habits, authorities said.
“Cases like this demonstrate the relationship between methamphetamine use and serious property crimes,” Suthers said.
Investigators declined to reveal details about the theft ring, but said that there may be additional arrests as other suspects are identified.
“They did not focus on any certain type of car, it was more crimes of opportunity,” Strauch said. The Adams County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting the cases with assistance from the attorney general’s office.
“Given the complex nature of the case, it’s going to take considerable effort on both agencies,” Assistant District Attorney Mike Goodbee said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com
