San Luis Valley man sentenced to 12 years for extortion, forgery, and retaliating against judges

April 24, 2024 (DENVER)—A San Luis Valley man with recent ties to Gunnison County was sentenced today to 12 years in the Department of Corrections for committing extortion and threatening several judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, attorneys, and citizens in Gunnison, Montrose, and Alamosa counties over a two-year period. Last month, a jury found Brett Andrew Nelson guilty on 20 of 24 counts brought against him by the statewide grand jury in April 2022.

“Brett Nelson’s actions undermined the integrity of our legal system and endangered the safety of several Coloradans who were doing their job. This conviction and sentencing advances the rule of law and protects public safety,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office prosecuted the case.

State prosecutors presented evidence that Nelson used sovereign citizen-like tactics starting in 2018 to submit numerous fraudulent documents, such as powers of attorney and default judgments, against public officials and individuals involved in criminal and domestic relations cases where he was a defendant. Additionally, Nelson filed documents containing threats directed at judges and lodged announcements of liens on several judges’ properties in an attempt to influence case outcomes. He also submitted powers of attorney, granting him authority to represent judges, in efforts to dismiss cases in which he was involved.

Other evidence presented at the trial demonstrated how Nelson submitted fraudulent quitclaim deeds on multiple properties, aiming to transfer ownership to himself. The properties belonged to various individuals involved in Nelson’s criminal and domestic relations cases, including victims and law enforcement officers. Additionally, Nelson filed false default judgments against individuals connected to his legal matters, including the mother of his child.

At the March trial held in Gunnison County District Court, the jury returned a verdict after five hours of deliberations.

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Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov