Royal “Scoop” Daniel III could return to Colorado as early as next week, after he waived extradition during a hearing in San Diego.
Daniel, 66, will be transferred from the San Diego Central Jail, where he was being held in lieu of a $175,000 bond, back to Summit County, where he faces charges of theft and commercial bribery, said Mark Hurlbert, Summit County district attorney.
The former Breckenridge attorney is accused of stealing more than $500,000 from clients through multiple real estate transactions.
Daniel, a well-known figure in the Breckenridge community, disappeared April 27, 2007, after someone called 911 on his cellphone. Co-workers reported him missing later that morning.
An arrest warrant was issued for Daniel less than a week after he disappeared. It cited an investigation into his 1031 documents, under a portion of the Internal Revenue Service Code that allowed him to hold money for real estate investors while they sold one piece of property and subsequently purchased another.
More than 4 1/2 years after he disappeared, Daniel was arrested Wednesday after U.S. Border Patrol agents checked his passport at a pedestrian crossing at the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Thursday, Daniel told 9News’ sister station in San Diego that he had taken a bus to Mexico and had worked there writing website content for a man in Acapulco. He claimed he was unaware he was a wanted man.
Daniel said he left for Mexico with $800 and left his clients’ money in his bank account. Authorities found a total of $233,791 in Daniel’s bank accounts after he left, but the arrest warrant alleged he stole a total of $561,571.
Hurlbert said authorities did not find an account with all of the victims’ money.
“If there is other money out there, it raises the chance that we could recover some of the victims’ money,” Hurlbert said. “But we are not sure of his current finances.”
The summer after Daniel disappeared, five of his former clients filed lawsuits claiming he mishandled a total of $736,861, according to federal court records. All five suits were dismissed.
Breckenridge Assistant Police Chief Greg Morrison said that during the 55 months Daniel was missing, he periodically spoke with Daniel’s ex-wife and children to see whether they had heard from him. No one — family or friends — reported any contact with Daniel.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
