Greeley Criminal Impersonation Lawyer | A Wild Goose Chase Leads to Multiple Charges

A woman was charged with Vehicular Eluding, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Criminal Impersonation after a high speed car chase across northern Colorado.

A northern Colorado high speed chase spanned both Larimer and Weld County: starting in Fort Collins, travelling to Greeley and finally ending in Loveland. According to the news report, a Larimer County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle for suspected fictitious plates. The driver provided false information to the deputy and when the officer asked her and her passenger to exit the vehicle, they sped off and the chase ensued. Items were seen flying from the vehicle throughout the chase. Along with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Collins Police, Loveland Police, Weld County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado State Patrol rendered aid to stop the vehicle. Eventually, a well-placed spike strip deflated the car’s tires and law enforcement was able to take the woman and her passenger into custody. They were arrested for a myriad of things including: Vehicular Eluding, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Criminal Impersonation.

Weld County Vehicular Eluding Attorney | What is the Definition and Penalty?

The Colorado law definition of Vehicular Eluding in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County – C.R.S. 18-9-116.5 – is:

Any person who, while operating a motor vehicle, knowingly eludes or attempts to elude a peace officer also operating a motor vehicle, and who knows or reasonably should know that he or she is being pursued by said peace officer, and who operates his or her vehicle in a reckless manner, commits vehicular eluding.

Because the car reached speeds of almost 100 mph during the police chase, a reckless act, the woman was charged with this class 5 felony punishable by 1 to 3 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Luckily, no one was hurt during the act, but if someone had been injured, it would have been charged as a class 4 felony and if a death had resulted, it is a class 3 felony. Eluding can also be charged as a misdemeanor traffic offense, C.R.S. 42-4-1413, in less serious situations.

Greeley Tampering with Physical Evidence Lawyer | What is the Definition and Penalty?

The Colorado law definition of Tampering with Physical Evidence in Greeley, Erie, and Evans – C.R.S. 18-8-610 – is:

A person commits tampering with physical evidence if, believing that an official proceeding is pending or about to be instituted and acting without legal right or authority, he:

(a) Destroys, mutilates, conceals, removes, or alters physical evidence with intent to impair its verity or availability in the pending or prospective official proceeding; or

(b) Knowingly makes, presents, or offers any false or altered physical evidence with intent that it be introduced in the pending or prospective official proceeding.

When the pair from the story above threw items out of their car (believed to be illegal drugs) they were in essence destroying or removing the evidence that would cause them to be charged with another crime. As a class 6 felony in Colorado, Tampering with Physical Evidence is punishable by 12 to 18 months in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Have you been charged with Criminal Impersonation, Vehicular Eluding or Tampering with Evidence? Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today!

Morgan County Criminal Impersonation Attorney | What is the Definition and Penalty

The Colorado law definition of Criminal Impersonation – C.R.S. 18-5-133 – is:

A person commits criminal impersonation if he or she knowingly:

(a) Assumes a false or fictitious identity or legal capacity, and in such identity or capacity he or she:

(I) Marries, or pretends to marry, or to sustain the marriage relation toward another without the connivance of the latter;

(II) Becomes bail or surety for a party in an action or proceeding, civil or criminal, before a court or officer authorized to take the bail or surety; or

(III) Confesses a judgment, or subscribes, verifies, publishes, acknowledges, or proves a written instrument which by law may be recorded, with the intent that the same may be delivered as true; or

(b) Assumes a false or fictitious identity or capacity, legal or other, and in such identity or capacity he or she:

(I) Performs an act that, if done by the person falsely impersonated, might subject such person to an action or special proceeding, civil or criminal, or to liability, charge, forfeiture, or penalty; or

(II) Performs any other act with intent to unlawfully gain a benefit for himself, herself, or another or to injure or defraud another.

Because the woman provided a false identity to the sheriff deputy when he was pursuing criminal and traffic charges, she was charged with this class 6 felony. Criminal Impersonation is punishable by 12 to 18 months in the Colorado Department of Corrections. All in all, I hope this woman has a good attorney because she is facing quite a bit of time in prison when you add up these 3 felonies plus the various other charges she is facing.

If you or someone you love has been arrested for Criminal Impersonation, Tampering with Evidence, or Vehicular Eluding, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.

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