A lawyer representing a defendant arrested in what authorities have called the largest gang crackdown in Colorado history on Wednesday said authorities believe his client is “a person of interest” in the slaying of Denver Bronco Darrent Williams.
The lawyer, Anthony Viorst, made the statement in an interview after his client, Vernon Edwards, pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking charges in federal court.
During that hearing, Viorst asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Boyd N. Boland to prevent authorities from questioning his client about the pending drug trafficking charges “or any other case” unless he had legal representation present.
Viorst said in the interview that Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Podolak had told him authorities believe Edwards is connected to the Williams case.
Podolak declined to comment later, as did Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney’s office.
“The comments between the prosecutor and the defense counsel are privileged, and we cannot confirm anything that you may have been told by the defense attorney,” said Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Troy Eid.
Viorst said authorities believe Edwards, 29, of Aurora, described in court records as going by the nickname Lil Thirty Ounce, may have been in the sport utility vehicle that was allegedly the source of gunshots that killed Williams early on New Year’s Day.
The vehicle was registered to Brian Hicks, 28, whom prosecutors earlier identified as a Tre Tre Crips gang leader. At the time of Williams’ slaying, Hicks was in jail awaiting trial on attempted-murder charges in a case of witness intimidation.
Hicks was among those indicted last week in the federal drug-trafficking case.
Edwards’ sister, Queen McClain, and his girlfriend, Billie Lambson, 28, said in an interview that Edwards is innocent.
They said he was with Lambson on New Year’s Day, when Williams was killed, in bed with the flu.
They also confirmed that police are investigating Edwards in connection with the Williams killing and that police told them a witness has placed Edwards in the sport utility vehicle.
“Somebody told them he was in the SUV,” Lambson said. “They told us that if he wasn’t in the SUV then he knows who was.”
Viorst, who was appointed by the court to represent Edwards, did not challenge his client’s detention as he waits for a trial on drug-trafficking charges. He told Boland he may seek to get his client released on bail at a later date.
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com.
