A man was recently arrested in Greeley and is facing multiple charges, the most serious being Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft in the First Degree. According to the news report, the man was pulled over for a minor traffic violation. When the Greeley police tried to pull him over, he got out of the car and ran. When police caught up with him, they found a passport in his jacket pocket that had been reported as stolen just an hour before. He was charged with Criminal Possession of an Identification Document and booked into the Weld County Jail. The same day, a confidential informant reported that the man was keeping stolen vehicles on his grandfather’s farm. When police went to investigate, they found a white Hummer and small pop-up camper that had both been reported as stolen. Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft charges were added to the man’s current case.
Weld County Criminal Possession of an Identification Document Lawyer: What is the Definition of Criminal Possession of an Identification Document?
The Colorado law definition of Criminal Possession of an Identification Document – C.R.S. 18-5-903.5 – is:
Because the man took the passport without permission, he was illegally possessing that identification document. In Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Criminal Possession of an Identification Document is a class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by 6 to 18 months in the Weld County Jail and up to $5,000 in fines. If the man had been in possession of two or more identification documents and at least two of them belonged to the same person, it would be charged as a class 6 felony, which is punishable by 12 to 18 months in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $100,000 in fines.
Greeley Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft Lawyer: What is the Definition of Motor Vehicle Theft in the First Degree?
The Colorado law definition of Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft – C.R.S. 18-4-409 – is:
(a) Retains possession or control of the motor vehicle for more than twenty-four hours; or
(b) Attempts to alter or disguise or alters or disguises the appearance of the motor vehicle; or
(c) Attempts to alter or remove or alters or removes the vehicle identification number; or
(d) Uses the motor vehicle in the commission of a crime other than a traffic offense; or
(e) Causes five hundred dollars or more property damage, including but not limited to property damage to the motor vehicle involved, in the course of obtaining control over or in the exercise of control of the motor vehicle; or
(f) Causes bodily injury to another person while he or she is in the exercise of control of the motor vehicle; or
(g) Removes the motor vehicle from this state for a period of time in excess of twelve hours; or
(h) Unlawfully attaches or otherwise displays in or upon the motor vehicle license plates other than those officially issued for the motor vehicle.
Because the vehicles had been in the man’s possession for more than 24 hours, and he took them without authorization or permission, he is facing two 1st Degree Motor Vehicle Theft charges. In Greeley, Erie, and Windsor, Motor Vehicle Theft in the 1st Degree is a felony. It can be charged as a class 5 felony, a class 4 felony, or a class 3 felony depending on the value of the vehicle:
- Class 5 felony if the value of the motor vehicle or motor vehicles involved is less than twenty thousand dollars;
- Class 4 felony if the value of the motor vehicle or motor vehicles involved is twenty thousand dollars or more but less than one hundred thousand dollars;
- Class 3 felony if the value of the motor vehicle or motor vehicles involved is more than one hundred thousand dollars or if the defendant has twice previously been convicted or adjudicated of charges separately brought and tried either in this state or elsewhere of an offense involving theft of a motor vehicle
If you or someone you love has been charged with Criminal Possession of an Identification Document or First Degree Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best Greeley criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.
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