BRIGHTON, Colo.—A former vice president of a company accused of defrauding Adams County taxpayers has been convicted of 62 felonies involving the theft of county funds.
Jurors Wednesday convicted Dennis Coen, 58, of 20 counts of theft, 19 counts of conspiracy to commit theft, 21 counts of forgery and two counts of attempt to influence a public servant, The Denver Post reported (). He was acquitted on four counts of forgery, two counts of conspiracy to commit theft and one count of theft.
Prosecutors alleged county workers and Quality Paving Co. and Quality Resurfacing Co. officials had conspired to bill taxpayers for $1.8 million of road work that was never done.
Coen was among seven people charged in the case.
Former county construction manager Sam Gomez, 64, and former county public works director Lee Assay, 60, face similar charges as Coen. A former paving company worker was acquitted in the case last year. A former county road inspector and a former Quality Paving official both pleaded guilty to lesser criminal charges and agreed to testify.
All the defendants also have been named in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court by Adams County commissioners seeking repayment of $8.6 million allegedly bilked from taxpayers.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
