A Denver grand jury handed down indictments on 13 alleged street gang members on 255 felonies, accusing them of crimes involving 113 victims. The indictments accuse the group of 18 shootings, including two homicides, and violations of Colorado's Organized Crime Control Act.
The defendants are allegedly members of a street gang calling itself "2DS" or "Too Damn Smooth," according to a news release from the Denver District Attorney's Office, which will prosecute the cases now filed.
Accusations against the group include the shooting death of Jesus Duran-Maldonado in Commerce City on February 26, 2022, and of Christian Chirinos-Salazar in Denver on May 28.
Other charges filed by prosecutors include attempted homicide, motor vehicle theft, assault, menacing and robbery. Attempted murder and attempted homicide, both in the first degree, are the most numerous charges against the group with 81 and 79 counts respectively.
The indictments followed a years-long investigation by the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAVEN), according to the news release. RAVEN is a Colorado task force made up of more than a dozen state, federal and local law enforcement agencies.
“We believe these individuals shared a common goal of committing violence primarily against their rival gang members to gain notoriety, credibility, and perceived dominance over their neighborhood,” said Denver DA Beth McCann in a statement.
The 13 people charged are:
- Ali Fernando Lozano, 23
- Anastasia Marie Gomez, 19
- Angel Adrian Espinoza, 20
- Brandon Mark Santana, 18
- Emiliano German Nunez, 20
- Gilberto Ulisses Torres-Pacheco, 18
- Gloria Reyes, 18
- Ismael Gabriel Roque, 20
- Isser Daniel Mejia-Michael, 20
- Jessie Anthony Vargas-Vigil, 21
- Nevaeh Jordyn Alvarado, 20
- Ricardo Corchado, 19
- Yacob Fonseca, 20
The indictment also includes one redacted name. A spokesperson for the Denver District Attorney's Office said that person already had indictment charges filed against them, and prosecutors chose to go forward on that case rather than through the new indictment.
“Removing these alleged violent offenders from our streets again demonstrates our ongoing commitment to holding accountable the most serious offenders causing harm in our neighborhoods,” Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said in a statement.
