DENVER — It’s common to hear ice cream trucks driving past the F15 Pool in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood on a hot summer day.
“It’s like the sound of summer coming through,” said Julie, a mom of two.
On Friday, Julie’s 12-year-old daughter and her friends flagged down The Ice Cream Wagon truck.
“[The driver] told them, 'I didn't realize you guys were chasing me for a couple blocks. Would you guys like a ride back to the pool?'" said Julie.
That question, along with a receipt scribbled on a napkin with a Venmo name, sparked a curiosity for Julie.
After some digging, Julie found a social media post that stated the driver, Keith Frazier, was a registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal history.
“My stomach just sort of went in knots,” said Julie.
Documents from the Weld County District Attorney’s Office show Frazier was charged with six counts of indecent exposure in 1997. Court documents state Frazier stole underwear from two Greeley girls he was babysitting and kept journals about them.
A background check shows a long history of crime, including a felony assault charge in 2001 and a felony burglary charge in 2008.
“I wonder… how did he get this type of job? Especially with this type of company where their main clientele is children?” said Julie.
The Denver Police Department said Frazier is "in compliance with his sex offender registration." But Denver's Department of Excise and Licenses said not only is the company, The Ice Cream Wagon, operating without a license but there's no record of an application or license for Keith Frazier.
“One of the most important reasons why there's a licensing requirement for ice cream vendors, besides having the aspect of food safety, is because there's a lot of interaction with children,” said Chuck Hickey with Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses.
The city's licensing requirement includes an FBI background check, which Frazier would have never passed. Denver requires vendors and each employee to be licensed.
“It is Denver law that ice cream vendors must have a badge that is visibly displayed when they are operating,” explained Hickey.
Hickey said The Ice Cream Wagon and Frazier will receive a notice of violation. If ignored, Hickey said fines start at $150 and go up to $999 before a criminal citation is issued as a last resort.
Julie said these unlicensed companies need to be served a bigger punishment, especially when it comes to the price of safety.
“We’re lucky that nothing bigger has happened,” said Julie.
Denver7 reached out to The Ice Cream Wagon for comment but has not heard back as of the publication of this article.
