Posts tagged investigators
Scammers failing in Xcel ruse, so far
Jan 25th
Boulder police have received three complaints from local business owners who say scammers pretending to be Xcel Energy employees have targeted their businesses.
The complainants have shared similar stories with investigators that begin with a phone call claiming that the customer’s utility account is past due and is about to be disconnected within the next few hours. The victims are then told to pay the bill immediately via a wire service like Western Union or a prepaid debit card like MoneyPak. In one case, the phone scammer wanted to meet the potential victim to get the money in person.
Scammers demanding “late” payments. So far, it isn’t working.
The three businesses which were targeted received calls on Jan. 15, Jan. 17, and Jan. 20. In each case, the victims contacted police and Xcel to check that their accounts were in good standing.
So far, no one has fallen for the scheme and Boulder police would like to make sure that area residents and business owners are aware of the scam.
People should be wary of giving personal information like bank account numbers or social security numbers over the phone. It’s also a red flag if telemarketers use high-pressure tactics such as saying “you must pay now or lose your service.”
Anyone who has questions about their Xcel account may contact Xcel’s customer service center at 800-895-4999, or customerservice@xcelenergy.com.
Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a phone scam may report it to the Boulder Police Department at 303-441-3333.
Suspect in nearly a dozen robberies arrested
Jan 2nd
Boulder police have arrested the suspect investigators believe is responsible for a string of robberies in the city and in Boulder County. Alishan Yapoujian (DOB 11/23/1988) is in the Boulder County Jail after being arrested on a charge of Aggravated Robbery.
Boulder detectives have been working with other law enforcement agencies during the investigations. On New Year’s Eve, the Colorado State Patrol located the black Chevy Blazer that Boulder police were looking for in connection with a robbery at the Conoco gas station, located at 4742 Table Mesa Drive, and another gas station located in the county, which occurred on Dec. 29, 2013. The vehicle was located in Niwot, CO.
Robbery suspect Alishan Yapoujian
Detectives identified a male they believed was the getaway driver of the Blazer in the Conoco robbery. He was cooperative with police and investigators were able to obtain information about the robbery suspect, Alishan Yapoujian. Police are not identifying the suspected getaway driver at this time.
On Dec. 31, 2013, Boulder police partnered with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office to execute a search warrant of Yapoujian’s residence, along with a warrant for his arrest, in the 6300 block of Arapahoe.
Police believe Yapoujian is responsible for 10 robberies in the city of Boulder, as well as two other robberies in Boulder County. Those cases are still being investigated. The Boulder Police Department has been working closely with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, and it’s likely that more charges will be filed against Yapoujian. We also anticipate further arrests in this series of robberies.
Boulder police are grateful for the assistance of the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado State Patrol, the Lafayette Police Department and the Longmont Police Department.
Detective Kurt Foster is the lead investigator in the robbery cases. Anyone with information may contact him at 303-441-4329. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
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Police shooting being investigated
Nov 24th
The Boulder County Investigation Team is investigating a fatal shooting after a Boulder police officer shot a suspect during a disturbance in an apartment building at 3009 Madison St. earlier today.
Boulder officers responded to a call at 12:30 p.m. from a neighbor who reported that a man, armed with a knife and a machete, was making threatening remarks and stabbing a post outside his apartment. When officers arrived, no one was outside. They knocked on the door of the apartment where the suspect lives. When they got no response, they forced the door open. A male suspect jumped out from near the doorway and came toward the first responding officer with a knife in each of his hands. Preliminary reports are that the officer ordered him to get down. When the suspect did not, the officer fired his rifle twice.
The suspect was transported to Boulder Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The officer, a 14-year veteran of the Boulder Police Department, was uninjured. He will be placed on administrative leave with pay, pursuant to departmental policy in these types of incidents. Several other officers witnessed the shooting.
Neither the suspect nor the officer is being identified at this time, as officers are working to notify their families.
The Boulder County Investigation Team is staffed by investigators from a variety of Boulder County law enforcement agencies. The team is responsible for conducting unbiased, objective investigations in cases when officers use deadly force or other incidents involving in-custody deaths.
Officer-involved shootings are unusual in Boulder. The last incident of this type involving Boulder police was in 2008 when a SWAT officer shot and killed a man who said he was wearing a bomb and threatened to detonate it inside Boulder Community Hospital.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
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