There is a special section of the Colorado law regarding crimes against any at-risk persons, and the penalties are steep. Basically, if you are accused of committing a crime and the victim is considered at-risk, the sentences are much more severe. A man was recently charged with Theft Against an At-Risk Person after his grandfather’s life savings went missing. According to the report, the man had moved in with his grandpa, and then used his card to purchase things off Amazon, airline tickets, and even a boob job for his girlfriend. The grandfather did not realize that the money was gone until he was notified that his utilities were not being paid as there was no more money in his account. The man was charged with the Theft Against and At-Risk Elder. 

Douglas County Crimes Against At-Risk Persons Definition 

The Douglas County, Colorado law definition of Crimes Against At-Risk Persons, as it relates to Theft – C.R.S. 18-6.5-103(5) – is: 

“

(5) Any person who commits theft, and commits any element or portion of the offense in the presence of the victim, as such crime is described in section 18-4-401 (1), and the victim is an at-risk person, or who commits theft against an at-risk person while acting in a position of trust, whether or not in the presence of the victim, or who commits theft against an at-risk person knowing the victim is an at-risk person, whether in the presence of the victim or not, commits a class 5 felony if the value of the thing involved is less than five hundred dollars or a class 3 felony if the value of the thing involved is five hundred dollars or more. Theft from the person of an at-risk person by means other than the use of force, threat, or intimidation is a class 4 felony without regard to the value of the thing taken.” 

There are different qualifications when it comes to the at-risk designation: 

• At-Risk Adult – a person who is 70 years old or older, or 18 or older and has a diagnosed disability (including an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD)) 
• At-Risk Elder – a person who is 70 years old or older 
• At-Risk Juvenile – a person under the age of 18 and has a diagnosed disability 

An At-Risk person would include all of the above.  

If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime against an at-risk person, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 303-265-1950 to schedule your free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.  

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