A mother and son have been charged with multiple counts of identity theft and forgery while the pair is completing sentences for earlier crimes.
Andres Torres, 49, is charged with six counts of identity theft and six counts of forgery, all felonies, while his mother, Elena Romero, 76, is charged with one count of tampering with a victim, also a felony, according to the Denver district attorney’s office.
The charges allege that Torres stole the identity of an acquaintance then advertised a home for rent on Craigslist, identifying himself and claiming to be the identity-theft victim to the unsuspecting renter, according to prosecutors. Torres allegedly forged lease agreements and checks made payable to the identity-theft victim. Romero is accused of contacting the identity-theft victim and asking him to lie to investigators.
In 2014, Torres and Romero were indicted for violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. Torres is serving a 25-year Community Corrections sentence; Romero is serving four years of probation.
Torres remains in custody at the Denver jail in lieu of $2,500 bail. He has a court appearance scheduled for Wednesday. Romero is being held at the Adams County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. Her next court date has not been set.
