Last Ringleader of Motor Vehicle/ID Theft Enterprise Sentenced (Bleacher)

NEWS RELEASE –

October 12, 2018

Contact: Ken Lane, 720-913-9025

LAST OF THE RINGLEADERS IN MOTOR VEHICLE/BURGLARY/IDENTITY THEFT CRIMINAL OPERATION PLEADS GUILTY & SENTENCED TO PRISON

The last of the five ringleaders of a criminal enterprise involving stolen motor vehicles and other property, destruction of property, identity theft and other criminal activity has pleaded guilty and sentenced to prison.

Pablo Bleacher (dob: 10/16/1993) pleaded guilty yesterday in Denver District Court to the main charge of violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act-COCCA (F2), and to one count of ID theft (F4).  He was immediately sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Co-ringleaders Noah Ferris (dob: 06/26/1995), Jordan Goetsch (dob: 04/09/1997), Jory Ingram (dob: 02/25/1996), and Michael Rodgers (dob: 02/25/1992) each pleaded guilty earlier this year to the main charge of violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act-COCCA (F2), and to one count of ID theft (F4).  Ferris and Ingram were each sentenced to 16 years in prison, and Goetsch and Rodgers were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The five were indicted by a Denver Grand Jury in October 2017 and each charged with one count of violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act-COCCA (F2).  They and 11 co-defendants were additionally variously charged with other felonies, including aggravated motor vehicle theft (F4, F5, F6), second degree burglary (F3, F4), and identity theft (F3, F4).

The indictment was the result of a months-long investigation and collaboration by and between the Denver District Attorney’s Economic Crime Unit, Denver Police Department, and the Metro Auto Theft Task Force.

The indictment alleged that from at least between November 2015 and July 2017, with various members joining at various times, members of the criminal enterprise and associates stole numerous motor vehicles and other property while committing garage burglaries, motor vehicle trespasses, identity theft, and other thefts; and that members of the enterprise shared money, proceeds from the sale of stolen property, stolen property, stolen identification documents, stolen financial transaction devices, stolen automobiles, transportation, controlled substances, food, clothing, and living quarters to accomplish the enterprise’s goals.

The indictment alleged that members of the enterprise obtained the stolen property primarily through burglarizing secured residential parking garages attached to apartment, condominium and business complexes located primarily in the Downtown Denver, LoDo, LoHi, and RiNo areas of Denver, often using stolen motor vehicles to facilitate those burglaries. Enterprise members and associates allegedly circumvented building/garage security measures by several methods, including, but not limited to, following a tenant’s vehicle into the garage, either on foot or in a stolen motor vehicle; breaking entry into residential complexes by forcing open lobby doors; ramming stolen cars through garage entry and exit control arms and gates; operating stolen garage door openers; and using public entrances during regular business hours.  Once inside a secured garage area, enterprise members rapidly went through the garage and checked vehicle doors to determine if the doors were unlocked, and steal property from the vehicles.  If a key was located inside the vehicle, the enterprise members would then steal that vehicle.  This process was known and described by enterprise members as “car-hopping.”

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