Former Denver District Judge Larry Manzanares has been charged with three felony crimes of embezzlement, theft and tampering with evidence along with other charges related to a stolen, state-owned computer that was found in his home.
In addition to the felonies, Manzanares also was charged with two misdemeanors of first-degree official misconduct and computer crime. The charges were filed by a special prosecutor in the Jefferson County district attorney’s office, who had been brought in to avoid any potential conflict of interest by the Denver DA’s office.
Manzanares surrendered at the city jail this afternoon with his attorney, Gary Lozow, who said Manzanares was released on $5,000 personal-recognizance bond.
Manzanares, 50, a Denver native and a graduate of Harvard Law School, resigned from the bench in January when he was named Denver city attorney, replacing Cole Finegan.
Less than a month after he was sworn in on Jan. 4, the State Court Administrator’s Office reported that a Gateway M280 laptop and accessories valued at $1,800 had been stolen.
The computer was equipped with a tracking device that led police to Manzanares’ home.
On Feb. 16, Denver police contacted Manzanares, and he returned the computer the same day. He denied taking the computer, saying that he bought it from a man he had met in a parking lot near the Denver City and County Building in January.
Manzanares said he could not remember how much he paid for it.
In an arrest warrant affidavit, Denver police said Manzanares said he paid $300 for the computer.
The affidavit also stated that investigators found a number of pornography addresses on the computer, which could not be linked to Manzanares. Investigators also found web addresses for aircraft-related sites, and noted that Manzanares is a licensed pilot.
The court administrator’s office reviewed the police report and asked “that no prosecution take place.”
Former assistant district attorney Geanne Moroye agreed not to prosecute based on the state’s request. She then left a telephone message telling her supervisor, Deputy DA Chuck Lepley, what she had done.
When Lepley heard the message, he overruled Moroye and sent the case to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office to be investigated by a special prosecutor.
