Author: reporter

A Morrison man was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after he illegally obtained two Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials announced Tuesday. Richard Nieto, 39, took a deal and pleaded guilty last month to wire fraud and money laundering in federal court, according to court records. The plea deal dropped two additional counts of wire fraud and three money laundering charges from Nieto’s case, court records show. William Martinez, a senior judge for the United States District Court in the District of Colorado, sentenced Nieto on May 29 to 46 months in federal prison…

Denver police arrested more than a dozen people Tuesday night as demonstrators marched in protest of federal immigration raids and to show solidarity with Los Angeles protesters. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Colorado State Capitol at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday before they split in half, marching down two different thoroughfares and crowding out traffic. “I want to be present and stand up to what I think is really wrong,” Bonnie Lloyd, of Broomfield, told Denver7 at the protest. The Denver march was one of dozens of emergency “ICE Out!” protests across the country that were planned in response to President…

After some steps forward, Zack Steffen’s knee sent him one backward. The Colorado Rapids’ goalkeeper will miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing “successful” surgery to address an injury to his right medial meniscus, the club announced Tuesday. Before joining the Rapids in 2023, Steffen had surgery on his left meniscus, which kept him out several months. The 30-year-old suffered the injury during training camp with the U.S. Men’s National Team ahead of two friendlies before the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Before going down, he was expected to make the final Gold Cup roster and may have been the starter for Mauricio…

If you are shocked by the Rockies’ latest way to lose, you’re probably living under a rock. Colorado held a 5-2 lead over the Giants going into the ninth in the series opener on Tuesday night at Coors Field. Up to that point, they had timely hitting, got a decent start from Carson Palmquist, and the bullpen had been flawless. Then came the punch line as the Rockies remain on pace to be the worst team in modern baseball history. Closer Zach Agnos imploded in the final inning, and fellow reliever Victor Vodnik couldn’t clean up his mess as San…

More than two months have passed since the Nuggets fired their head coach and general manager in a shocking plot twist to end their 2024-25 regular season. More than three weeks have passed since their season ended in Oklahoma City with handshakes and hugs, mementos of an admirable lemons-to-lemonade playoff run. Two job openings remained, but one of them was a foregone conclusion. David Adelman was officially appointed head coach four days after Denver’s Game 7 loss. But the Nuggets still have not replaced Calvin Booth all these weeks later, and Josh Kroenke’s hiring process has been eerily quiet —…

A large crowd gathered at the Colorado Capitol on Tuesday evening to rally against federal immigration enforcement before marching through downtown Denver. The protest spilled into the streets in front of the Capitol before moving down Lincoln Street and eventually Broadway. At one point, protesters in the area of Broadway and Exposition Avenue were ordered to leave by the Denver Police Department. In a video, a Denver police officer can be heard telling the crowd to disperse, “or all reasonable and necessary force will be used to make your arrest and prosecute you.” Officers in tactical gear deployed tear gas…

In April, stretching every inch of his 6-foot-3 frame to strut his stuff in front of NFL scouts, Will Sheppard earned Sean Payton’s seal of approval at CU’s pro day. Now, he’s cashed it in. Two months after Payton pulled the CU product aside for a lengthy chat, Sheppard was on the turf in Dove Valley at the Broncos’ minicamp Tuesday, where he’ll participate in a tryout through Thursday. He made his mark at that showcase in April, recording a 40.5-inch vertical that sent slight shockwaves through a crowd of scouts and teammates, and carries a legitimate NFL frame that…

Construction of a spectacular sightseeing gondola above Idaho Springs is well under way with high hopes that it will open early next year, if not sooner. Concrete footings for all of the support towers have been poured, and two support structures are already in place near the upper terminal. The remaining support towers will be flown into position via helicopter and secured in place this summer, either in July or August. A watch party for the public to view the process is planned. “We think it’s a Chinook, flying 14 gondola towers all in one day,” said founder and part…

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was met with sharp questions and criticism Tuesday by lawmakers who demanded details on his move to deploy troops to Los Angeles, and they expressed bipartisan frustration that Congress has not yet gotten a full defense budget from the Trump administration. “Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told Hegseth. Others, including Republican leaders, warned that massive spending projects such as President Donald Trump’s desire for a $175 billion Golden Dome missile defense system will get broad congressional scrutiny. The troop deployment…

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI In one of his first acts of his second term as president, Donald Trumppardoned hundreds of people who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to keep him in office, including those who beat police officers. On Monday, Trump posted a warning on social media to those demonstrating in Los Angeles against his immigration crackdown and confronting police and members of the National Guard he had deployed: “IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be…