A grandmother and her son each have been charged with four counts of child abuse after allegedly bringing the son’s four children to a meeting with undercover officers in which the family tried to obtain firearms and money in exchange for marijuana.
According to investigators, all of the children are under the age of 11.
Their father was identified as Nathan Monroe Gray, 32, and the grandmother was identified as Patricia Marion Gray, 53.
The meeting occurred Dec. 21 in the Rifle area, according to authorities.
The father and grandmother also were charged with two counts of possessing more than 8 ounces of marijuana and two counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Possession with intent to distribute is a Class 4 felony with a range of two to six years in prison.
Possession of more than 8 ounces of marijuana is a Class 5 felony with a range of one to three years in prison.
Child abuse is a Class 2 misdemeanor with a range of 3 to 12 months in jail.
The investigation was conducted by Trident, a multi-jurisdictional drug task force consisting of the Glenwood Springs, Rifle, Carbondale and Vail police departments and the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
