ASPEN — Aspen police are investigating complaints from local businesses that say they were duped out of thousands of dollars by a man who held himself up to be the owner of an upstart magazine and marketing firm.
Sgt. Dan Davis said Wednesday that police are trying to track down local resident Taylor Colton, 41, who they believe has fled to Utah.
“He’s not returning our calls,” Davis said.
Davis said it’s unclear whether the case fits into the civil or criminal realm.
“We have to determine it was his intent to defraud people. That would make it criminal,” Davis said.
Complaints have been mounting since about two weeks ago, Davis said. An investigation opened Monday.
One of the alleged victims, Tanya Baldwin, said she paid Colton $500 for an advertisement to run in his purported new magazine, Aspen Moxie, and another $700 for recyclable shopping bags that would tout her businesses with their logos — floral-design shop Cadeau Aspen and Fig & Lily.
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