A well-known participant in an organized vehicle theft and break-in ring has been given a 24-year jail sentence in Colorado.
On Thursday, a district court judge in Larimer County sentenced Rene Ruiz to jail. Following his conviction for his role as a high-ranking member of criminal groups that stole many cars and carried out multiple burglaries in Colorado between 2020 and 2023, the sentence was imposed.
According to the prosecution, the sentence of 24 years is the longest that the Colorado Attorney General’s Office has ever imposed in a case involving organized motor vehicle theft.
In the Larimer County case, Ruiz, 24, entered a guilty plea to one count each of first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, theft of auto parts, and racketeering under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.
In one of the Adams County cases, he entered a guilty plea to one count each of first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft and second-degree burglary.
In the third prosecution handled by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Adams County, Ruiz entered a guilty plea to an extra count of first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft and Colorado Organized Crime Control Act violation.
The sentencing of this defendant comes as data from the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force shows a 28% decrease in auto thefts statewide since 2023, including a 55% decrease at Denver International Airport. Read the full release on our website: https://t.co/1bLirMvvuO pic.twitter.com/QAyqKtU1EW
— Colorado Attorney General (@COAttnyGeneral) September 19, 2024
“In collaboration with law enforcement partners, we were able to investigate and break up three overlapping major auto theft rings that harmed many residents and businesses in Colorado. As this conviction illustrates, stolen cars are often used to commit other crimes and threaten communities. We are committed to protecting victims and communities from the scourge of vehicle thefts, and I am proud of our Auto Theft Unit’s work on these complex cases,” Attorney General Phil Weiser stated.
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office claims that Ruiz assisted in the theft and sale of automobiles from private individuals, business dealerships, and auto repair shops.
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He also broke into a number of establishments, including ATMs, from various locations throughout the Denver metro area, Front Range, and Denver International Airport.
“This defendant engaged in high-level criminal acts across the metro area and has now been held accountable,” District Attorney Brian Mason of the 17th Judicial District, Adams and Broomfield Counties stated. “Motor vehicle theft has long-lasting, serious impacts on victims and, as these cases prove, we’re doing something about it. Indeed, because of collaboration and vigorous prosecutions such as these, motor vehicle thefts are finally coming down. I’m proud to join Attorney General Weiser and our other partners in addressing the serious problem of motor vehicle theft in Colorado.”
