Attorney General Phil Weiser and law enforcement partners take down Western Slope auto theft and forgery ring

Aug. 12, 2025 (DENVER) – The statewide grand jury returned a 51-count indictment charging seven individuals in an auto theft ring that impacted communities in Mesa and Garfield counties and nearby parts of Utah between October 2021 and May 2024, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced today.

The defendants are accused of operating an organized crime ring to steal an estimated 44 vehicles—primarily full-sized pickup trucks and off highway vehicles—from mostly private citizens in Western Colorado with a total aggregate value of more than $870,000.

“I am grateful for the hard work of this law enforcement partnership that took down a complex auto theft operation that harmed so many Coloradans on the Western Slope. It’s because of partnerships like these that we’ve been able to reduce auto theft in the state by 25% over last year and make Colorado communities safer. We’re committed to holding those who harm Coloradans accountable and bringing justice for victims,” said Attorney General Weiser.

According to the indictment, the defendants would steal a vehicle, attempt to legitimize the stolen vehicle through Vehicle Identification Number swapping or cloning, and then sell the stolen vehicle to a third party for a profit. In addition to VIN swapping and cloning, the defendants frequently altered the appearance of stolen vehicles or displayed license plates and temporary license plates not legitimately associated with the vehicle. This delayed the discovery of the criminal ring and the recovery of the vehicles. Many of the vehicles were recovered from third-party buyers who were unaware that the vehicles were stolen, according to court records.

The seven defendants face various criminal charges including violating Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act (racketeering and conspiracy), a class 2 felony; aggravated motor vehicle theft in the first degree, a class 5 felony; motor vehicle theft in the second degree, a class 4 felony; varying degrees of felony theft; attempt to influence a public servant, a class 4 felony; and forgery of a government issued document, a class 5 felony.

The cases were filed in Garfield County District Court. The case numbers are:

  • Alexis Gustavo Garibo-Meraz, 2025CR224, in custody in Garfield County jail
  • Luis Enrique Villanueva-Gonzalez, 2025CR227
  •  Jose Armando Luzania-Martinez, 2025CR230, in custody in Garfield County jail
  • Jose Madrid-Trevizo, 2025CR233, in custody in Garfield County jail
  • Luis Alverto Rodriguez-Reyna, 2025CR236, in custody in Garfield County jail
  • Yuren Zamarron Marquez, 2025CR239
  • Raymundo Medrano-Madrid, 2025CR242

“The impact on our community from these allegations highlights the importance of working together to address such harms. I’m grateful to the law enforcement officers whose tireless efforts brought this case together, and to Attorney General Weiser and his team for presenting it to the grand jury,” said District Attorney Ben Sollars of the 9th Judicial District.

The investigation in this case was possible due to the dedication and determination of the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit with the Colorado State Patrol as the primary investigating agency, and financial support from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority.

Additional law enforcement partners critical to the investigation include the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office SPEAR Task Force, the Grand Junction Police Department, the Glenwood Springs Police Department, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, the Parachute Police Department, the Pleasant Grove Police Department in Utah, and the Colorado Department of Corrections Parole Fugitive Unit.

“We are thankful to work in concert with these agencies and the support of Colorado Automobile Theft Prevention Authority to reduce the effects on our communities. The challenges of these cases would have been unwieldy if it was not for the exceptional teamwork of investigators,” Grand Junction Police Department Detective Sergeant Jacob Steele said.

“The Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority is proud to support and fund initiatives that are able to work collaboratively to make Colorado safer. The dismantling of sophisticated auto theft rings like this one, not only reduces vehicle thefts in our state, but protects consumers, and enhances public safety at large. The 51-count indictment against these seven individuals is a testament to how this group coordinated to commit crimes across the Western Slope region and sought to profit from their criminal activity. This indictment is a clear message to all those in Colorado, acts of crime will not pay,” said the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority.

More information about the Colorado Automobile Theft Prevention Authority can be found at lockdownyourcar.org.

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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