Grand jury indicts five on organized crime and auto theft

Published on September 19, 2022

Weld County District Attorney

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – The Weld County Statutory Grand Jury issued an indictment against five people accused of stealing more than 50 cars throughout Weld County beginning in April of 2021.

Defendants Amanda Jo Johnson, Austin Ray Carlholm, Ryan Donald Yarwood, Hector Rivera, and Jacob Alexander Martinez were collectively indicted on 147 counts.

Each of the Defendants are charged with violating Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act (COCCA), along with numerous counts of Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft, Identity Theft, Forgery, Criminal Mischief and Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

Investigators believe the co-defendants would steal vehicles from various locations throughout Northern Colorado, including store and apartment parking lots, and then sell the stolen cars.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including detectives from the Greeley Police Department and Colorado State Patrol, investigated the racketeering activity from April 2021 to February 2022.

“I am incredibly proud of our detectives that saw this very long and intricate investigation,” Greeley Police Chief Adam Turk said. “Thanks to their efforts, with assistance from our law enforcement partners in BATTLE Group North and the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, multiple defendants are answering for the nearly 150 criminal charges against them.” 

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