Eight men were indicted by a state grand jury and accused of using stolen vehicles and large rocks to break into and burglarize bike shops across the Front Range, including several in Boulder County.
According to a release from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the group was indicted on 227 total counts including violating Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act, first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, second-degree burglary, theft and criminal mischief.
The indictments stem from an investigation called Operation Vicious Cycle that involved a series of crimes involving 29 bike shop burglaries, 22 auto thefts and multiple attempted burglaries and thefts from Fraser to the Denver metro area from December 2019 through June 2020.
According to the release, the men would plan the burglaries using Facebook Messenger. In groups of up to four, the men would then steal either a box truck or van and ram it into the front doors or windows of a bicycle shop, or they would break the front windows with large landscaping rocks or other tools.
Police said the men then stole high-end mountain bikes and transferred the stolen goods to be sold out of the country, possibly in Mexico.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, we broke up this multi-layered criminal enterprise that harmed several businesses and nonprofit organizations in the mountain communities and Denver metro and Boulder areas,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. “We will hold these individuals to account for their actions and harm they caused to the victims and our communities.”
The defendants reportedly stole $985,000 in bikes and $258,000 in vehicles while causing $231,837 in property damage.
Six businesses were burglarized in Boulder County, including Boulder Cycle Sport in Boulder, Redstone Cyclery in Lyons and Cenna Custom Cycles in Longmont.
According to the release, all of the cases were filed in Boulder District Court.
“From speaking with bike store owners, I know that these break-ins and thefts have caused significant harm for the victims and our communities,” Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. “This indictment is the direct result of a united, tireless effort to bring down a multi-jurisdictional theft operation. The District Attorney’s Office appreciates our strong partnerships with the Boulder Police Department, FBI, and the Attorney General’s Office.
“Our office remains committed to ensuring that the individuals involved in these property crimes are held fully responsible for their actions. I want to thank Attorney General Weiser for putting together this team effort and fighting for community safety.”
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November 18, 2021 at 07:36AM
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