The Colorado Attorney General’s Office has dismissed all charges against Joseph Slowey, 48, one of nine people indicted in November 2013 for allegedly targeting distressed homeowners as part of a fraudulent short-sale scheme.
Slowey, of Denver, was originally accused of theft, forgery and conspiracy to commit theft.
The charges were dismissed because Slowey was manipulated by others in the scheme, Attorney General John Suthers’ spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said. “He was deceived and he was appropriately dismissed.”
Two other co-defendants, Sheila Giberti and Sheila Gaston, were were convicted of felony charges and received probation sentences, Tyler said.
She said the cases against the six remaining co-defendants are set for trial in early October.
Adams County District Judge Mark D. Warner last week sealed the Slowey case at his request to protect him from unwarranted adverse consequences.
At the time of the indictment, .
Suthers alleged that the group targeted vulnerable homeowners by fraudulently taking control of and selling their properties, with the goal of defrauding lenders and subsequent homeowners.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or twitter.com/howardpankratz
