LONGMONT, Colo. — Three men are accused of providing drugs to students in Longmont in exchange for money and sexual acts, the 20th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced.
Mario Moreno, Angelo Torres and Aldair Garcia Rodriguez allegedly sold drugs — namely cocaine, MDMA, marijuana and marijuana concentrate — to students at various public schools throughout the St. Vrain Valley School District.
Moreno, Torres and Garcia Rodriguez allegedly coerced underage women to perform sexual acts in exchange for drugs.
A grand jury returned indictments against the three men on Jan. 12.
According to the DA's office, Moreno was indicted on 59 charges, including:
- Sex assault on a child
- Four counts of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude
- Three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Possession of a controlled substance
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute
- 22 counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor
- Seven counts of child abuse
- Nine counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor
- Four counts of tampering with a witness
- Possession of a weapon by a previous offender
- Money laundering
- Tax evasion
He is being held on a $2 million bond.
Torres was indicted on three charges, including:
- Human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor
- Distribution of a controlled substance to a minor
He is being held on a $200,000 bond.
Garcia Rodriguez was indicted on five charges, including:
- Three counts of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude
- Two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor
He is being held on a $1 million bond.
“Longmont Detectives in the Special Investigations Unit undertook this investigation into adults selling multiple drugs to school-aged children that included hundreds of hours of surveillance, over fifty search warrants, and combing through thousands of lines of conversation in social media files. This investigation also uncovered the human trafficking of minors that was investigated by the Boulder County District Attorney's Office," Longmont Police Chief Jeff Satur said in a statement. "The Longmont Police Department appreciates all our partners who helped with this investigation and our partnership with the Boulder County D.A.'s Office and their investigators. This was a significant and labor-intensive investigation. We are proud of our team. Their commitment to our community's well-being, the safety of the school–aged children, and the community's safety is second to none.”
“With this drug distribution operation, these men targeted and preyed upon students. As illustrated by the charges of human trafficking and sex crimes, these men used narcotics to victimize young people," District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. "These indictments are the direct result of rigorous efforts by the Longmont Police Department and the outstanding teamwork between the investigators and prosecutors. Our office will continue to support the victims and our team is committed to fighting for the right result.”
Authorities believe there could be more victims. If you or someone you know has been affected, reach out to Longmont Police Detective Daniel Kilian at 303-774-3693 or District Attorney Senior Investigator Edna Munoz a 303-441-1355.
