This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DENVER (KDVR) — Five people were indicted in an auto theft and burglary crime ring that spanned multiple counties and cost almost a million dollars in stolen property, including vehicles.

Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that a statewide grand jury returned a 90-count indictment that charged five people in a large auto theft and crime ring Wednesday.

The crimes spanned from Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Clear Creek and Weld counties and happened between December 2019 and March 2021.

Nathaniel Tsosie, Craig Keltner, Justin Jameson, Andrea Wettig, and Dustin James are the five individuals accused of working together to steal vehicles and burglarize storage units to take personal identifying and financial information, according to Weiser.

According to the grand jury indictment, the group used stolen identities to test drive the vehicles from car dealerships and then never return them. The identities were then used to open storage units and burglarize them.

The group was caught stealing property, identities and firearms.

According to the indictment, the total value in losses during this crime ring was approximately $836,000 from 23 stolen vehicles. Another $109,000 was stolen property from storage units and stolen checks.

“Motor vehicle theft is a serious issue hurting a lot of people and businesses in Colorado. Stolen vehicles are often used to commit other crimes such as personal property theft. It is critical that law enforcement work collaboratively to address the high number of auto thefts in our state and use all the tools available to do so. We in the Attorney General’s Office are committed to doing our part and will do everything we can bring justice for the victims of this organized auto theft and burglary crime ring,” Weiser said. 

The indictment includes the following charges:

  • Violating Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act
  • First-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft
  • Second-degree burglary
  • Identity theft
  • Forgery
  • Criminal impersonation
  • Felony theft
  • Felony drug possession
  • Possession of a weapon by a previous offender

According to the indictment, Keltner, Weddig, and Jameson are currently serving prison sentences for crimes connected to the pattern of racketeering activity alleged in the indictment.