A state grand jury has handed down a 122-count indictment against 10 people in an alleged Denver-area auto theft and burglary ring that prosecutors say stole well over $800,000 in cars, trucks and other property.
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said Thursday that her prosecutors have filed charges alleging the group — known at the “Bow Tie Crew” — violated the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.
Named in the indictment were William Cussins, Audrey Halvorson, Brandon Martinez, Ashley Egeland, Christopher Bartz and Cody Cox. Four of their associates also are facing allegations.
Officials said in a news release that charges were filed in Broomfield District Court.
“While not a well-organized street gang, the ‘Bow Tie Crew’ showed a brazen disregard for the law and inflicted significant damage to our community,” Coffman said in a statement. “With car thefts and property crime rates on the rise, we should all be concerned because ultimately we each pay the price for these crimes in elevated insurance rates.”
State prosecutors worked with law enforcement agencies from throughout the Denver area to investigate the accused ring.
Officials say 14,859 motor vehicle thefts were reported in Colorado in 2015, according to the Colorado Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center. That represents an almost 30 percent increase in motor vehicle thefts from the previous year, the release said, and equates to more than $88 million in losses.
