Category: Crime

“Not My President’s Day” national day of protest announced for Feb. 17, 2025, @ noon at City Hall

 

A super PAC is urging Americans to rally en masse nationwide February 17th at noon at city halls across the country to show opposition to “co-presidents” Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s lawless dragging of the nation into fascism and oligarchy. It is the same group that organized the #50501 protests at state capitals across the country February 5th.

American Opposition, a new Super PAC based in Boulder, Colorado that just registered with the Federal Election Commission on January 27, 2025, formed to fill the vacuum they say is being left by Democrats.

A convicted felon now in charge of the country, Trump is moving quickly to end law enforcement as we know it

Letter sent to federal law enforcement officials who worked on the criminal cases against convicted felon and now U.S. President Donald Trump. The two federal cases against him were for his attempts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 election and for hoarding classified and top secret government documents and refusing to return them to the federal government. The letter notifies federal law enforcement employees they are being fired because their investigations did not please Trump.

The following analysis of Trump’s ongoing mass purge of federal law enforcement officials was taken from Rachel Maddow’s show 1/31/25 show, starting at 17:12 into the show (video). I transcribed her presentation and then lightly edited the text to make it clearer as a written, rather than a spoken piece. I also included links to further information. I chose to highlight Maddow’s presentation because it is perhaps the fullest, clearest and most concise explanation of the current state of affairs ongoing on under Trump that has been broadcast so far. (Note: Italicized, bolded and capitalized emphasis are mine.):

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Trump is punishing law enforcement officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who pursued violent January 6 criminals to gain revenge on law enforcement personnel who participated in a previous investigation that is now over. The point of Trump’s actions is to permanently, irrevocably change law enforcement in the United States so FBI and prosecutors will no longer pursue criminal investigations and cases against suspects if the suspected criminals are associated with Trump and his supporters.

Trump is trying to get rid of American law enforcement as we know it.

They are trying to get rid of the very idea of an independent “justice-is-blind” system that makes America who we are. It is hard to see how this can be corrected or undone.

A reminder of the dangers of putting wealthy business leaders in charge of government

Photo: FBI

For those of you who think big business leaders are automatically qualified to run government or head it’s important agencies, here is a picture of the Enron Code of Ethics, signed by the Company’s former Chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay. The foreword in the Code states that Enron “enjoys a reputation for fairness and honesty… but no matter [what]… Enron’s reputation… depends on its people, on you and me.”

Remember Enron?

Trump embraces lawlessness by pardoning all Jan. 6 rioters, including the most violent offenders

Violent insurrectionist David Dempsey in front on the gallows set up at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 (Photo: U.S. District Court)

On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump showed the extent to which he is willing to disrespect the laws of the United States when it comes to protecting those who commit violence and sedition in his name.

As one of his first acts, Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 January 6 rioters, including the most violent offenders and those convicted of seditious conspiracy (the crime of conspiring against the U.S. government). Among them are David Dempsey, who was serving a 20 year prison sentence for viciously assaulting Capitol Police using crutches, flag poles, pieces of broken furniture, pepper spray and anything else he could get his hands on. Dempsey struck Washington D.C. Police Seargent Jason Mastony so hard with a metal crutch that Mastony collapsed and was left stunned with a gash in his head. Trump also commuted the 18-year sentence of Stewart Rhodes, leader of the far-right anti-government paramilitary militia the Oath Keepers, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and evidence tampering, and Enrique Tarrio, former national chairman of the neo-fascist group Proud Boys, who was serving a 22 year sentence in prison.

People’s March to be held Saturday, Jan. 18 @ 1 p.m., to bring together people who fear second Trump administration

The Womens’ March held around the time of Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 is coming back in 2025, but this time it has been rebranded as “The People’s March,” to be even more inclusive.

The 2025 Grand Junction People’s March will start at the Old Courthouse on 6th and Rood Ave. on Saturday, January 18 at 1:00 p.m. in Grand Junction, just prior to Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The event will coincide with a national People’s March will in Washington, D.C. scheduled to start 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Arrest affidavit: Trump’s racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric motivated strangulation attack on local TV reporter

Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, who attacked and attempted to strangle KKCO TV reporter Ja’Ronn Alex

KKCO TV News reporter Ja’Ronn Alex was followed and physically attacked December 18 by a Trump supporter who yelled “Are you even a U.S. citizen! This is Trump’s America now! I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!”

House Ethics report finds “substantial evidence” that Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first pick for Attorney General, paid women for sex, had sex with an underage girl, used & possessed illegal drugs, accepted impermissible gifts and more

Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first pick to be United States Attorney General (AG). The AG serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States and principal legal advisor to the U.S. President

On December 23, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Ethics Committee, whose “singular mission is to protect the integrity of the House,” released a long-awaited report on the behavior of former House Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) (pdf), who was president-elect Donald J. Trump’s first choice to be Attorney General of the United States.

Gaetz resigned from his Congressional seat after his nomination to be AG, and prior to the release of the report.

Red Rock Auto wage theft lawsuit headed for trial Dec. 9-11

Red Rock GMC on First Street in Grand Junction, where Derek Paíz was employed as a detailer

A civil wage theft lawsuit, 23CV52 (pdf), filed by a tenacious former vehicle detailer against Red Rock Auto Group II, Inc. and Red Rock’s local minority owner Bryan Knight, is headed for a fast-approaching jury trial December 9-11, 2024 at the Mesa County Justice Center.

At a virtual pre-trial conference this morning, November 20, Judge Matthew Barrett confirmed that the trial is set for those dates and will be heard by a 6-person jury.

Bryan Knight, now listed as a minority (10%) owner of Red Rock GMC

Derek Paíz worked as a detailer for Red Rock GMC at 741 N. First Street in Grand Junction from April-September, 2022. He filed the case pro se (on his own, without an attorney) on October 26, 2023 seeking wages he alleges Red Rock failed to pay him for work he did while employed at the GMC dealership in 2022. 

Elect a criminal, expect crimes

There will be no one to blame but American voters for what is going to happen next.

After a decade in politics, we all knew Donald Trump was a criminal.

He was found guilty last May of 34 felony counts of fraud and was slapped with a $355 million fine after he and his company were found guilty of engaging in a decade-long scheme to defraud banks and lenders by falsifying the values of his properties. In writing the verdict in the case, Judge Arthur Engoron wrote “The frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.” In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Proposition 128: The Parole Eligibility Initiative

Photo: Unsplash

*Some information from Ballotopedia:

Proposition 128 (full text, PDF) would change requirements to be eligible for parole for people convicted of specific violent crimes like second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, first or second-degree sexual assault, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, and aggravated robbery.

Currently in Colorado, a person convicted of certain violent crimes can apply for parole after serving 75% of their sentence, and their sentences can be reduced further by time earned for good behavior.

Under Prop. 128, people who commit crimes like this on or after January 1, 2025, would be required to serve 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole, and earned time for good behavior could not be used to reduce the sentence.

Judge sentences Tina Peters to 9 years of incarceration, plus 3 years of parole after she completes her sentence

Here is the last 22 minutes of today’s sentencing hearing in which Judge Barrett gives Tina a stern talk how and why he arrived at the sentence he chose, and in which she finds out she is sentenced to 9 years of incarceration (6 months in the Mesa County Detention Facility to be served first, and then 8 1/2 more years in the Department of Corrections) plus 3 years of parole after she completes her sentence.

Kia and Hyundai owners: you could be eligible for thousands in reimbursement in theft case settlement

Eligible Kia models and years

Owners of certain models and years of Kia and Hyundai vehicles who suffered theft or attempted theft of their vehicles can get up to $3,375 in expenses, or 33% of the damages to their vehicle and other costs they incurred due to a “qualifying theft” or “qualifying theft attempt.”

After videos spread on TikTok showing how easy it was to steal specific models and years of Kia and Hyundai vehicles as a result of their being built without important anti-theft devices called “engine immobilizers,” thefts of Kias and Hyundais exploded, causing damage to thousands of people’s Kias and Hyundais and heaping financial woes upon the owners, like increased insurance premiums and deductibles, costs to repair broken glass and other damage done to the vehicles, costs of adding after-market anti-theft devices, towing and transportation costs, lost work time and income, additional child care and other expenses.

State opens case into alleged forgery at Red Rock Hyundai

Subpoena related to a 2022 transaction at Red Rock Hyundai in which allegedly forged signatures were discovered by a credit union on purchase documents for a used 2020 GMC Sierra truck. Mr. Acevedo, the customer who tried to buy the vehicle, was the victim in the case.

The Colorado Attorney General and Auto Industry Division are subpoenaing documents related the alleged forgery of signatures discovered during a customer’s attempt to purchase a used truck at Red Rock Hyundai in 2022. 

Jesus Acevedo, the victim of the alleged 2022 forgeries in the case, received a subpoena dated 8/29/2024 in the state’s case.

In January, 2022 Mr. Acevedo attempted to buy a 2020 GMC Sierra pickup from Red Rock Hyundai. He was never shown any of the documents from his purchase while he was at the Hyundai dealership. He saw them for the first time at the Sooper Credit Union, where he went to arrange financing. A loan officer printed out the documents from the sale and saw four signatures that didn’t look like Mr. Acevedo’s signature. He showed the signatures to Mr. Acevedo, who affirmed they were not his. One of the questionable signatures was on an agreement to buy a $10,000 extended warranty that Mr. Acevedo wasn’t told about and did not approve.

The verdict is in in Tina Peters’ criminal trial

Tina Peters at her trial in Mesa County

Following are the findings of the jury returned at 5:20 p.m. this afternoon in the criminal case of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters:

Count 1 – Attempt to influence a public servant – Jesse Romero (employee of the Colorado Secretary of State’s office) – GUILTY
Count 2 – Attempt to influence a public servant – David Underwood (employee of the Colorado Secretary of State’s office) – GUILTY
Count 3 – Conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, April 23-May 18, 2021 – NOT GUILTY
Count 4 – Attempt to influence a public servant – Danny Casias (employee of the Colorado Secretary of State’s office) – GUILTY
Count 5 – Criminal impersonation May 23-27, 2021 – NOT GUILTY
Count 6 – Conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation – May 23-27, 2021 – GUILTY
Count 7 – Identity theft – NOT GUILTY
Count 8 – First degree official misconduct – guilty on all options on interrogatories
Count 9 – Violation of Duty – GUILTY
Count 10 – Failure to comply with requirements of the Secretary of State’s office – GUILTY with all interrogatories proven beyond a reasonable doubt

Peters’ sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.

Take-aways from Tina’s trial

Tina on Bannon’s War Room the morning after a Mesa County jury convicted her of 4 felonies and 3 misdemeanor counts related to her election tampering case.

Tina Peters’ criminal trial finally played out this past week, three years after she was accused of engaging in multiple felonies as Mesa County Clerk. The trial is being live-streamed by KREX, and you can watch it whenever Court is in session. The link to watch it is here, but if you haven’t tuned in yet, you’ve missed most of it. The prosecution and defense rested their cases Friday, August 9. Monday will bring closing arguments and jury instructions before the jury is sent to deliberate Tina’s fate. The judge said he thought the remaining phases of trial would likely be completed by noon on Monday, August 12.

Lots of information was presented at the trial, much of which the public hasn’t known about before, and most of it quite damning to Tina. Here are some of the biggest take-aways from the trial this week:

How to watch Tina Peters’ criminal election tampering trial online


KREX TV will be streaming the entire criminal trial of former Mesa County Clerk-turned-election denier Tina Peters whenever  court is in session. You can view it on their website at this link, or live on YouTube at this link. Both links have a Chromecast icon, allowing you to cast live video to your TV if you have a Chromecast device.

Grand Junction Jackalopes accept sponsorship by Red Rock Auto Group

Logo of the Grand Junction Jackalopes baseball team

The Grand Junction Jackalopes announced in a May 29 press release that they have “agreed to a sweeping partnership that will make Red Rock Auto Group the official auto dealer of the Grand Junction Jackalopes.”

Local baseball fans will now be confronted with the name of “Red Rock Auto” at every turn in their Jackalopes game day experience. As part of the sponsorship deal, the Diamond Club at Suplizio Field will now “officially be renamed the “Red Rock Auto Diamond Club,” and fans will now enter Suplizio Field through gates re-named the “Red Rock Auto North Gate” or the “Red Rock Auto South Gate.” The grill is even named the “Red Rock Auto Grill.”

That will be tough to swallow for local baseball fans who fell victim to Red Rock’s illicit sales techniques.