The 84-year-old owner of a popular tamale stand in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood has pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of theft by receiving.
In exchange for the plea announced Tuesday, prosecutors dropped a more serious felony charge of theft by receiving against Zona Moore, the owner of Zona’s Tamales.
Moore will be sentenced at the end of October. She could face up to 12 months in county jail.
Moore was arrested July 22, accused of buying and selling stolen cigarettes and purchasing stolen televisions from an undercover police officer.
Zona’s Tamales has operated at 713 E. 26th Ave. for about 40 years. A week after her arrest, as many as 200 people rallied in support of her.
Police began investigating Zona’s Tamales in June following numerous complaints that crack cocaine was sold there. They initially approached Moore asking for cooperation and asking her to close the business at midnight instead of 3 a.m., but she refused, saying she couldn’t afford to lose the late-night business.
Moore’s son, Saalim Muhammed, 69, also known as Charles “Buck” Fields, and another employee, Renee McKinnon, 50, also were arrested with Moore. Both are charged with felony theft by receiving and are due in court next week.
Ernest Allen McKinney and Gill “Toni” Lee also were arrested during the investigation.
McKinney was arrested near the tamale stand after he allegedly sold less than a gram of crack cocaine to a confidential informant.
Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said McKinney pleaded guilty Aug. 24 to a lesser felony charge of possession of a controlled substance and was immediately sentenced to two years of supervision by Denver’s drug court, a program designed to move offenders quickly into treatment and supervision.
Kimbrough said McKinney failed to appear Sept. 8, the first day of his sentence. There is an active warrant for his arrest.
Lee was arrested for allegedly helping a confidential informant find crack cocaine to purchase while she was working at the tamale stand. She is awaiting a court date later in October.
