News
Denver Broncos warn of counterfeit tickets being bought through unofficial vendors
DENVER – The Denver Broncos are warning fans to be wary of tickets bought from secondary markets and websites, as some fans are being left out of hundreds of dollars after buying counterfeits.
The team said Thursday that it has recently seen an uptick in the fake tickets, which have been printed both on Ticketmaster stock and sent in PDF form.
It is reminding fans that they buy tickets from unauthorized sites at their own risk, and that the only sure-fire way to get a legitimate ticket is to buy them at Ticketmaster, the NFL Ticket Exchange, at the Denver Broncos Box Office or at Broncos events.
The team says it is “working closely” with the Denver Police Department to investigate the counterfeiting schemes.
One person who bought $600 worth of tickets for the Oct. 1 Broncos-Raiders game from scalpers found out at the gate they were fakes, they told Denver7.
The Broncos confirmed to Denver7 that “several hundred” counterfeit tickets were created for that game.
After he filed a police report with DPD, the department worked with the Broncos and its security to secure the group new seats, but the Broncos say people buying from unauthorized sites do so at their own risk.
Denver7 has reached out to Ticketmaster for further comment, but the request were not immediately returned. DPD says the Broncos and its team are handling the counterfeit situations.
The Broncos ask anyone with questions about their tickets to contact the ticket office at 720-258-3333 or at tickets@broncos.nfl.net.
Mike Coffman, bipartisan House panel introduce new authorization of military force measure
DENVER – U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., and a bipartisan panel of congressmen on Thursday introduced a new resolution to replace the war resolutions that preceded the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Congress has long fought over making a new authorization for the use of military force that would replace the two used to go to Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq two years later—both of which were seen on both sides of the aisle as being overly-broad.
The new resolution introduced by Coffman and the bipartisan panel of House members from Arizona, Nebraska and California would repeal the old authorizations outright.
Should the resolution pass, the new authorization would allow U.S. military action against al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban for another five years.
The U.S. would also be permitted to attack “any person, other than a sovereign nation, that is a part of, or substantially supports” one of those groups “and has engaged in hostilities” against the U.S., its armed forces, or civilian support of the armed services.
Under the resolution, the president would have to submit a report to Congress describing any actions taken against those groups within 60 days of the resolution becoming law. After the first report, the president would have to submit another similar report to Congress every 90 days.
“The threats we face today are far different than those we faced over a decade ago, and this legislation reflects Congress’s Constitutional role in authorizing the use of military force against terrorist organizations,” said Coffman.
“With this bipartisan legislation, we can meet our obligation to provide our service members with clear guidance as they fight to keep us safe. We can also provide our constituents the assurance that, no matter who our commander-in-chief is, Congress will assert its constitutional authority to define the use of our military force around the world,” said Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., who introduced the legislation with Coffman.
Defense Secretary James Mattis earlier this month told the House Armed Services Committee that he’d support a new war resolution.
Last month, the Senate voted down another bipartisan effort to repeal the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who has supported repeal efforts, voted against a motion to table the measures, while Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, voted in favor of the bill.
It’s currently unclear which committee Coffman’s House bill will be assigned to first.
Denver mayor opposes green roof ballot initiative, says it ‘goes too far too fast’
DENVER – Mayor Michael Hancock is opposed to an initiative Denver voters will decide on in November that would require many newly-built large buildings in the city to have a “green roof” of sorts installed.
Last month, the Denver Elections Division approved the Denver Green Roof Initiative ballot petition after verifying the group had gotten the correct number of signatures to put the measure on November’s ballot. Continue reading
Denver council committee moves 16th St. Mall smoking ban proposal ahead to full council
DENVER – The city council will likely hear a proposal to ban smoking along a stretch of the 16th Street Mall later this month after a council committee voted unanimously Wednesday to pass the long-discussed, and somewhat controversial, measure onto the full council.
The ban, called the “Breathe Easy” campaign, would implement a ban on smoking cigarettes, cigars and electronic smoking devices within 50 feet of 16th Street between Broadway and Chestnut Street.
At Wednesday’s committee meeting, Councilman Albus Brooks continued his push for the proposal’s approval, saying that Denver lags behind other big cities in its rules for public smoking. He said that Golden and Boulder also have rules that Denver could model theirs after.
Several representatives from medical fields and transportation zones expressed support for the measure, saying it would cut down on second-hand smoke for those who don’t smoke.
But some councilors expressed concern that the measure was unfairly targeting low-income and homeless people who are the most-likely to smoke.
Denver Police Deputy Chief David Quinones said the main goal of the ban would be to change behavior—not necessarily flat-out cite everyone for a first offense—and added that the program would have a soft rollout aimed at changing people’s behaviors.
He also suggested that police or the council compile data in quarterly reports as to how the program is working.
Violating the proposed ordinance would result in a fine of up to $100, but some officials stressed that there would be an education program, and that officers would be directed to use their discretion when handing out warnings or tickets should the measure get the mayor’s signature.
Smoking is already banned within 25 feet of an entryway in Denver, and within 15 feet of entryways across the state.
Despite the reservations from some on the committee, it voted unanimously, 7-0, to pass the measure straight on to the full council, which is expected to take it up for discussion at the Oct. 23 meeting.
A final vote on the proposal could come as soon as Oct. 30.
Cuban immigrant who won pardon from Colorado governor might be released from ICE custody
DENVER – The Cuban immigrant who won a pardon from Gov. John Hickenlooper for an armed robbery conviction that was aimed at helping his deportation case could soon be out of federal immigration custody and free to remain in the U.S.
A Department of Justice immigration judge terminated removal proceedings against Rene Lima-Marin late last week, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Continue reading
“Las Vegas Part 2”: Man accused of threatening 7 employees of popular Denver startup Ibotta
DENVER – A Brooklyn man is accused of threatening at least seven employees at a Denver-based company with “a Las Vegas repeat” after the company suspended his account over fraudulent use.
FBI agents arrested Victor Casillas Tuesday night in Manhattan, according to John Marzulli, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York. Casillas is set to make his first federal court appearance Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn Federal Court, Marzulli said. Continue reading
With a ‘coward’ shooting down on people, so many were heroes, says Thornton principal shot in Vegas
THORNTON, Colo. – Todd Riley and his friend were buying drinks at the bar near the main stage of the Route 91 Harvest Festival outside the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas Sunday night when he heard what he thought were fireworks.
The Century Middle School assistant principal and father of three had decided earlier this year that he and his fiancé, Dawn, and a group of friends would head out to Vegas for the festival, one of country music’s biggest events each year. Continue reading
Denver man who shot teens who got into illegal marijuana grow, killing 1, gets 80 years in prison
DENVER – The Denver man convicted of shooting two teenagers who’d gotten into his illegal backyard marijuana grow, killing one of them, was sentenced Wednesday to 80 years in prison.
The sentence was the maximum that 49-year-old Keith Hammock could have received after being convicted in July of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, manufacture of marijuana and cultivation of marijuana charges.
A 15-year-old boy died after being shot by Hammock, while a 14-year-old was shot and possibly paralyzed, according to police.
They had broken into Hammock’s backyard and gotten into his “mature” marijuana plants, according to police.
The shooting happened near High Street and 28th Avenue last October.
Hammock had originally told officers that he’d only seen a motion-activated light turn on in the backyard, but they later found guns inside his home—one that was at a vantage point where he could have shot the teens.
Former UCD student to serve minimum of 9 years for raping fellow student in 2015
DENVER – A former University of Colorado-Denver student will serve at least nine years in prison, but could serve more, for kidnapping and raping a fellow student of his after a Halloween party in 2015.
A Denver jury found John D. Kennedy, 23, guilty in June of second-degree kidnapping-victim of a sexual offense, sexual assault-victim physically helpless, sexual assault-victim incapable of appraising nature of her conduct, and unlawful sexual contact charges.
His victim, who was 23 at the time, was unconscious after a night of partying.
Kennedy waited until some of his fellow students had left a shared hallway and transferred the woman from one apartment to his own. The woman’s friends had placed her in that certain apartment to keep her safe, according to prosecutors.
A friend noticed she was missing and discovered her across the hall in Kennedy’s room. The woman wasn’t aware she’d been moved into a different apartment or sexually assaulted, and investigators got ahold of surveillance video from the hallway that showed Kennedy moving her.
When shown there was DNA evidence and witness statements against him, Kennedy confessed to raping the girl.
Colorado law mandates indeterminate sentences for people convicted of sexual assault. Kennedy could serve between 9 years and life in prison, depending on his conduct in prison and after he is paroled, should he be.
“I thank our district attorneys and our staff and the citizens of the jury who, respectively, obtained the successful conviction and returned the guilty verdict, and I commend the victim and witnesses for their courage and determination throughout this lengthy case,” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said. “Today’s sentence sends the message that campus sexual assault is not ‘business as usual’ and that this is a serious criminal act.”
Jury convicts Tanner Flores of killing ex-girlfriend Ashley Doolittle; he faces life in prison
LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. – A jury on Wednesday convicted 19-year-old Tanner Flores of killing his ex-girlfriend, Ashley Doolittle, and dumping her body on the Western Slope in June 2016.
Flores faces life in prison after he was convicted on first-degree murder after deliberation, felony murder and second-degree kidnapping charges by the Larimer County. He is set to be sentenced Thursday.
The jury deliberated Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning before returning the verdict.
Flores, of Berthoud, was portrayed by prosecutors as jealous after he and Doolittle broke up during the trial. Prosecutors say he took his father’s gun, asked Doolittle to meet near Carter Lake, and shot her.
But his lawyers had argued Flores didn’t plan to kill her ahead of time.
Flores then drove her body out to near Collbran, on the Western Slope, where he dumped it. But he also told the jury that Doolittle’s murder was not premeditated.
Flores won’t face the death penalty because prosecutors didn’t declare ahead of the trial they would seek it, which is a requirement in Colorado.
He is set to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Thursday, and faces life in prison, plus additional possible time on the kidnapping conviction.