Cops nab violent man wanted for months

Joseph Moron

AURORA | A man wanted since January on several domestic violence charges was arrested Sunday after his girlfriend told police he beat her, police said Monday.

Joseph Moron, 35, was arrested early Sunday morning at his girlfriend’s home in the 200 block of South Newark Circle, police said.

The girlfriend had gone to Aurora Police Headquarters earlier that morning and told officers that Moron had beat her the previous night. With the woman’s permission, officers searched the home and found Moron sleeping in a bedroom.

In addition to new charges of assault battery and menacing stemming from the alleged incident with his girlfriend, Moron also faces charges stemming from previous domestic violence incidents, police said. Those charges include stalking, kidnapping, felony assault, burglary and several counts of violating a protection order, police said.

Aurora loan broker pleads guilty to federal charge

AURORA | An Aurora loan broker who investigators say under reported more than $4 million in income from 2002 to 2005 has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax reform, federal prosecutors said Monday. 

Leonid Shifrin, 40, of Aurora, faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to a stament from the United States Attorney’s Office in Denver. 

According to the statement Shifrin worked as a mortgage loan broker from 2002 to 2005, originating and closing loans for residential real properties and during that time under-reported his business receipts by $4,745,600. Because of the under reporting, Shifrin owes $1,365,788 in additional income taxes. 

Click below for the release from the US Attorney.

St. Pat's DUI crackdown under way

AURORA | More than 70 law enforcement agencies around the state, including Aurora police, have extra officers on the road this week looking for St. Patrick’s Day celebrators who drink and drive. 

The crackdown started at 6 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to continue through 3 a.m. March 18, according to a statement from the Colorado State Patrol. 

“St. Patrick’s Day is a popular time to go out with friends, and the local bars and pubs are popular places to go on this particular holiday,” Col. James Wolfinbarger, chief of CSP, said in a statement. “But before the first pint of beer is poured, plan ahead by arranging a safe and sober ride home.”

Last year, one person was killed in Colorado in an alcohol-related crash during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement period, CSP said. 

During last year’s crackdown, police in Colorado arrested 686 people on suspicion of DUI. 

Click below for the release from CSP. 

Woman's death ruled a homicide

AURORA | The death of a woman found dead last month in her apartment near her crying baby has been ruled a homicide, police said Friday.

Police declined to say what caused Camille Jackson’s death, but said the Arapahoe County coroner’s office has ruled the death a homicide. 

Officers found Jackson, 21, dead in her apartment in the 15400 block of East 13th Avenue on Feb. 5. The officers had gone to the home after Jackson’s family called to say they had not heard from her in a few days. Nobody answered the door and police said they entered the apartment because they could hear a baby crying inside. 

Police said then that Jackson didn’t have any obvious signs of injury when police found her body inside the apartment, but her death appeared “suspicious.” 

Jackson’s baby was not harmed and police said the child is living with family members. 

Police said Friday nobody has been arrested in connection with Jackson’s death and investigators have not released any information about a possible suspect.

Birch convicted in Denver murder case

AURORA | A Denver jury yesterday convicted a 28-year-old Aurora man of murder for gunning down a witness in 2006 so the witness wouldn’t testify against a notorious Denver drug dealer. 

Shun Birch was convicted late Thursday of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, according to a statement from the Denver District Attorney’s Office. A judge immediately sentenced Birch to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the mandatory sentence for a first-degree murder conviction in Colorado. Birch was also sentenced to an additional 48 years in prison. 

The jury acquitted Birch of first-degree burglary and felony murder. 

According to prosecutors, Birch and Willie Clark killed 28-year-old Kalonniann Clark in 2006 to stop her from testifying in an upcoming trial against Brian Hicks, a reputed Denver gang member and drug dealer. 

A Denver jury convicted Hicks last month of first-degree murder, solicitation to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and aggravated intimidation of a victim. Hicks, too, was sentenced to life in prison. 

A trial date for Clark, who last year was sentenced to life in prison for killing Denver Broncos player Darrent Williams in early 2007, has not yet been scheduled. 

Birch was sentenced last year to five years in federal prison on drug and weapons charges.

Charges dropped in MS-13 case

AURORA | Two years after federal authorities announced firearms and drug charges against 20 people accused of being members of a violent street gang, the charges have been dropped.

Federal prosecutors announced the indictments against 20 people — including 12 from Aurora — accused of being members of the MS-13 gang in February 2009.

The indictments, which alleged the gang distributed methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, were aimed at stopping the street gang from setting up shop in the metro area, officials said at the time.

But last week, a spokesman for the United State’s Attorney’s Office in Denver confirmed that the charges stemming from the February 2009 indictments had been dropped.

“The decision to dismiss this portion of the case was made in the interest of justice, and is an appropriate disposition of this matter,” Jeff Dorschner, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in Denver, said in an email last week.

For the full story, click here.