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Colorado Judge Sentenced for Obstructing Drug Investigation
A former Colorado state court judge has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison for obstructing a federal task force investigation of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization.
Ryan Kamada, 42, of Windsor, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2020, to obstructing the investigation. According to court documents, Kamada learned about the investigation in his official capacity as a judge and then disclosed details of the investigation to a friend, who then tipped off the target individual.
Kamada had known the drug trafficker since high school. By leaking the existence of a search warrant, Kamada abused the power of his judicial position and violated the trust that the people of Colorado placed in him, said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr.
The investigation began in October 2018, when a federal task force started investigating a drug trafficking organization distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout northern Colorado. One of the members of the organization lived in Greeley, Colorado.
“Public officials charged with upholding the law must be held to the same standard by which they judge others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado.
Kamada served as a District Court Judge of the 19th Judicial District of Colorado from January 2019. While serving as the “on call” judge one evening in April 2019, Kamada received a phone call from a task force officer seeking a search warrant. Kamada called his best friend, Geoffrey Chacon, and instructed him to “stay away” from the drug trafficker. Chacon subsequently informed the drug trafficker about the warrant, causing the drug trafficker to change his pattern of conduct and substantially interfering with the task force’s investigation.
Chacon pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of destruction of records with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation in November 2019. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 27. The FBI’s Denver Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Greeley Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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