Man accused of gravesite robberies in Colorado faces charges
On Feb. 12, law enforcement officials apprehended a man whom they believe is responsible for stealing more than 200 bronze headstone vases from Fairmount Cemetery graves. The funeral vases were allegedly worth $30,000.
According to the report, the 46-year-old man had broken down the vases into pieces and was attempting to sell the metal at Englewood All Recycle, a recycling facility. When the recycling center’s manager learned about the man who reportedly wanted cash for 361 pounds of bronze grave marker vases, he alerted police. The man suspected of being the thief was then taken into custody by responding officers and detectives who arrived at the recycling facility.
According to information from Colorado’s arrest records, the alleged thief is a repeat offender with a history of criminal activity in Chicago including violating a protection order, DUI, resisting arrest, domestic violence, assault and felony drug possession. In regards to the allegations of the stolen bronze vases, the man faces 78 misdemeanor charges for knowingly desecrating burial sites and felony theft with a value of $20,000 or more. He was placed in the Denver jail on a $7,000 bond.
Anyone involved in alleged criminal activity such as theft may be penalized with hefty fines, incarceration and probation. People in such circumstances may benefit by consulting a criminal defense attorney who is familiar with the state’s laws and criminal statutes that apply to the case. The attorney could conduct a throughout analysis of police procedures and the evidence that was obtained during the incident in an attempt to have the charges dismissed or reduced. If a conviction appears likely, however, the attorney may choose to negotiate the terms of a plea deal with the prosecution. In a plea deal, the defendant may be given a reduced sentence if he or she pleads guilty. Plea deals are good options in cases where the evidence against the defendant is strong.
Source: The Denver Channel, “Man arrested in theft of $30,000 worth of bronze gravesite vases from Fairmount Cemetery in Denver,” Alan Gathright and Russell Haythorn, Feb. 20, 2015
