DENVER — The leader of a Denver street gang pleaded guilty on Monday to four felony counts, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced.
The DA's office said Angel "Taz" Espinoza led the 2D$ (Too Damn Smooth, Too Damn Self-Made and/or Too Damn Styling) criminal street gang. He was among 13 2D$ members who were indicted in March 2023 on 254 felony counts, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated motor vehicle theft, assault, menacing and robbery.
On Monday, Espinoza pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. As part of the deal, he will be sentenced to 95 years in prison.
The 13 indicted 2D$ members have all pleaded guilty, according to the Denver DA's Office.
In a statement, Denver DA John Walsh said, “Angel Espinoza was the leader of a brutal criminal organization that terrorized neighborhoods on the Westside of Denver and showed no regard for human life. The city is safer now that he will be off the streets, effectively for the rest of his life. I want to acknowledge the Denver DA’s Organized Crime Unit and its prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates, as well as the members of the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAVEN). Together, their outstanding work during the multi-year investigation dismantled this violent gang and led to the successful resolution of all 13 cases."
Denver
Denver grand jury indicts 13 alleged gang members on 255 criminal counts
According to the DA's office, the 13 2D$ members were responsible for dozens of shootings that targeted rival gang members between 2019 and 2022. The DA's office identified two victims in its announcement: Paul Baca, Sr., who was killed in a shooting in Denver on January 22, 2021, and Christian Chirinos-Salazar, who was shot and killed in Denver on May 28, 2022.
The 254-count indictment identified nearly 200 additional victims, most of whom were not involved in gangs and were either caught in the crossfire or misidentified as rivals by 2D$ members, according to the district attorney's office.
Espinoza will officially be sentenced during a hearing on May 22.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.