An Englewood firefighter has been fired amid a criminal investigation into allegations he viewed child pornography on a firehouse computer while on duty.
Carmen DeLeone, 42, was dismissed Tuesday, Tom Vandermee, acting director of safety services, said Wednesday. Vandermee said investigators executed search warrants at a fire station and at DeLeone’s Fort Collins home Tuesday.
While DeLeone has not been arrested or charged, Vandermee said DeLeone was fired after a concurrent administrative investigation.
“We found sufficient cause to terminate him,” Vandermee said.
Vandermee said the investigations began July 9, when investigators at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted Englewood detectives and told them that a computer in the city had been used to look at two pornographic images of girls. Vandermee said the center had confirmed the girls in the picture were younger than 18.
Englewood detectives tracked the computer to a fire station at 3075 S. Tejon St., and the investigation determined that DeLeone had used the computer to access the images, Vandermee said.
Englewood detectives interviewed DeLeone on Tuesday, but Vandermee said he was released as the investigation continues.
Additional local news briefs:
LONGMONT
Petition aims to stop LifeBridge project
A group of Longmont residents want the City Council to repeal its decision to annex land for the proposed 348-acre LifeBridge development.
A petition with 880 signatures protesting the decision was delivered Wednesday to the city clerk’s office.
Despite vocal opposition, the council voted 6-1 on Aug. 14 to annex the land for the development.
The Longmont city clerk now has five days to validate the referendum petition.
If the petition is approved, the group would have until Sept. 27 to collect 4,021 signatures asking the council to revisit the issue. If those signatures were deemed valid, the council could either repeal the annexation ordinance or put the issue before the voters.
DENVER
DPS, teachers stuck on 2007-08 contract
The teachers union and Denver Public Schools are at an impasse over a contract for the 2007-08 school year after two days of negotiations that ended early Wednesday.
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association, which represents about 3,000 educators, is asking for a 4.47 percent cost-of-living increase and an improvement in health benefits. The district is offering a 3.6 percent adjustment.
But district officials say their offer plus the annual step increases that eligible teachers receive amount to an average increase of 6.2 percent.
Talks began in May and resumed with a federal mediator Monday but were called off after midnight when it was apparent no settlement would be reached.
Union officials believe teachers will be paid last year’s wage until a new agreement is reached. Union officials say they may file a petition with the Colorado Department of Labor, asking the agency to assert jurisdiction on the matter.
DENVER
Castilla will attend Hal O’Leary dinner
Former Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla will be the guest presenter at this year’s Hal O’Leary Awards Dinner, held Sept. 12 at Coors Field’s infield.
Guests of the program, which starts at 6 p.m. with cocktails and follows with a dinner, are asked to come in Western attire.
The event is held each year by the Colorado Rockies Charity Fund, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. The dinner honors the accomplishments of disabled individuals and athletes.
Proceeds benefit the fund, which supports nonprofit organizations that help disabled people. The price to sponsor a table is $2,500, and individual tickets are $200.
The dinner’s namesake started the National Sports Center for the Disabled in 1970 and has been an inspirational leader in his day-to-day involvement in the cause.
For reservations, call 303-312- 2337.
COLORADO SPRINGS
3 charged in import of growth hormone
A Colorado Springs pharmacist is charged with illegally importing human growth hormone from China, repackaging it and selling $4 million worth of the drug to doctors across the country, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday.
Thomas Bader, 63, the owner of College Pharmacy; Kevin Henry, 56, an employee of the pharmacy; and Bradley Blum, 36, a Houston sales representative from a company selling the human growth hormone, are named in the indictment.
Four doctors in Illinois, Florida, Indianapolis and Georgia unknowingly received the illegal drugs, but the indictment does not say how many patients may have received them or if anyone was injured.
Bader and Henry were arrested Tuesday by agents from the Food and Drug Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Bader posted $1 million bond and Henry posted $50,000 after an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Denver on Wednesday.
Blum was not yet in federal custody Wednesday.
