Attorney General Phil Weiser, Denver DA John Walsh announce takedown of major vehicle theft ring targeting municipal airports

June 22, 2026 (DENVER) – The statewide grand jury indicted 11 defendants on 52 counts for carrying out a widespread motor vehicle theft ring that targeted vehicles parked at small municipal airports along the Front Range between July 2024 and January 2025, Attorney General Phil Weiser and Denver District Attorney John Walsh announced today.

The members of the alleged criminal enterprise worked with each other to steal vehicles from municipal airport parking lots, surrounding hotels, and sometimes from businesses and residential areas in Adams, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties, according to the indictment unsealed today. Most of the stolen vehicles were full-sized pickup trucks, trailers, and recreational utility terrain vehicles owned by private citizens. The stolen vehicles and trailers were used by members of the enterprise to commit other crimes and avoided detection by law enforcement and license plate readers searching for stolen vehicles on the road because the vehicles were not reported stolen until the victims returned home days after the thefts.

Once the members of the enterprise had a stolen vehicle, they would often attempt to alter its appearance to further avoid detection by law enforcement. This allegedly involved switching license plates with plates stolen from other vehicles, changing the VIN tag found on the windshield, or affixing a fake temporary Colorado license plate. Many of the stolen vehicles were allegedly driven to or hauled on a trailer to Mexico and sold to cartels, according to the indictment.

The value of the 41 stolen vehicles, stolen property, and property damage carried out by the criminal motor vehicle theft ring exceeds $900,000.

“I am grateful to DA Walsh and other law enforcement partners that helped takedown this latest motor vehicle theft crime ring that harmed many victims and communities along the Front Range. While we have made great progress in reducing vehicle theft around the state, we have more work to do. We’ll work to ensure that we deliver justice for the victims of this alleged organized crime spree,” said Attorney General Weiser.

“This indictment targets a car-theft organization that is alleged to have been operating on an international scale, with ties extending well beyond Colorado’s borders – but its impact has been felt in neighborhoods and communities across the Denver metro-area and the Front Range. Over the last several years, my office and the entire Denver law enforcement community has focused intense efforts on reducing car theft, and our efforts are clearly paying off: So far in 2026, 28% fewer cars have been stolen in Denver compared to this time last year and more than 50% fewer than over the past three years. I am very confident that this trend will continue as we continue to dismantle car-theft organized crime organizations. I want to thank the prosecutors and investigators in my office, as well as our partners at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and CATPA Metro Auto-Theft Task Force, whose outstanding, collaborative work resulted in this significant indictment that is making Colorado safer,” said Denver District Attorney Walsh.

The 11 defendants face various charges, including racketeering and conspiracy under the Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act (F2), second-degree motor vehicle theft (F4), attempted motor vehicle theft (F5), theft (F4), and forgery (F5), in addition to other charges.

The cases are filed in Jefferson County District Court and will be prosecuted by the attorney general’s office and the Denver District Attorney’s Office in partnership with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The case numbers are:

  • Yulian Zamarron-Baylon (26CR1026)
  • Geomar Gomez-Hernandez (26CR1027)
  • Yester Sagastume-Leyva (26CR1031)
  • Qurino Vialpando (26CR1034)
  • Jose Munoz-Miranda (26CR1035)
  • Jovana Robles-Garcia (26CR1032)
  • Trinadette Rangel(26CR1030)
  • Juan Lopez-Sambrano (26CR1033)
  • Jonathan Cisneros (26CR1028)
  • Sabino Munoz (26CR1025)
  • Primo Borjon-Ramirez (26CR1029)

The investigation in this case was possible due to the dedication and determination of the Attorney General’s Auto Theft Initiative within the Special Prosecutions Unit, the Denver District Attorney’s Office regional auto theft prosecution team, with the Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force as the primary investigating agency and financial support from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority.

“The Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority is proud of the collaborative work between law enforcement and prosecutors to enhance public safety by dismantling sophisticated crime rings like this. The efforts of the Denver DA and the attorney general’s office speak immensely of the commitments both offices have to supporting law enforcement and enhancing public safety. Due to the efforts of everyone involved in this investigation, Colorado is a safer place,” said CATPA.

A grand jury indictment is a formal accusation that an individual committed a crime under Colorado laws. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Read a copy of the indictment (PDF).

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