Tag

manslaughter

Aurora man sentenced to 64 years to life in prison after teenager dies from fentanyl overdose

On July 21, Arapahoe County Judge Darren Vahle sentenced Jorge Alexander Che-Quiab, 27, to 64 years to life in prison for his role in distributing fentanyl to a 16-year-old victim who ultimately died from an overdose at a party.

Following the six-day trial that ended May 3, the jury returned guilty verdicts on charges of manslaughter, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, sexual assault of a child, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sexual assault (victim under 15).

“He played Russian roulette with people’s lives,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Darcy Kofol said. “He was only thinking about himself that night. He knew exactly what was in those pills and he crushed them up and gave them to those girls.”

In August 2020, Aurora Police were called to Che-Quiab’s home on a report of a possible overdose. The victim was pronounced dead on-scene when paramedics arrived.

“You cut off a branch of this girl’s family tree,” Judge Darren Vahle said. “That kind of pain will last for years and years.”

The investigation revealed Che-Quiab and another adult man supplied alcohol, marijuana and fentanyl to a group of underage girls during a social gathering at Che-Quiab’s home. Che-Quiab told police that one of the girls appeared to be suffering from an overdose, but he decided to go to bed and not seek emergency medical care on her behalf.

The next morning, others in the house awoke and found the girl was unresponsive and not breathing. 9-1-1 was called, and Che-Quiab admitted that he used the time before emergency personnel arrived to flush some of the remaining drugs down the toilet.

Further investigation revealed that during the same gathering, Che-Quiab sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl to whom he had also supplied a large quantity of alcohol. A thorough search of his house led to the seizure of 300 pills laced with fentanyl in addition to several bricks of Heroin.

“I am committed to aggressively prosecuting those who distribute this toxic and deadly poison in our community,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “As we’ve tragically witnessed, these fentanyl pills can be just as deadly as a bullet. It’s important to note that Mr. Che-Quiab had multiple chances to call for medical attention. Instead, he made the cowardly decision to go to sleep and do nothing. He was able to wake up in the morning, but this victim was not. His actions were reckless and egregious.”

Sentencing information:

Manslaughter: 12 years (consecutive to all counts)

Controlled substance distribution to a minor: 20 years (consecutive to all counts)

Possession with intent to distribute heroin: 8 years (concurrent)

Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl: 8 years (concurrent)

Sexual assault of a child: 12 years to life (consecutive to all counts)

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor: 12 years (concurrent)

Sexual assault (victim under 15): 12 years to life (concurrent)

Jorge Che-Quiab

Jury convicts man of manslaughter for fentanyl overdose death of 16-year-old girl

Jorge Che-Quiab

On May 3, 2022, an Arapahoe County jury found Jorge Alexander Che-Quiab (26) guilty of manslaughter and other charges for his role in distributing fentanyl to a 16-year-old victim who ultimately died of an overdose.
On August 7, 2020, officers with the Aurora Police Department responded to Che-Quiab’s home on a report of a possible overdose of a young female. A subsequent investigation revealed that Che-Quiab and another adult male supplied alcohol, marijuana, and fentanyl to a group of underage girls during a social gathering at Che-Quiab’s home. Che-Quiab admitted to police that one of the girls appeared to be suffering from symptoms of overdose, but decided to go to sleep rather than seek medical attention on her behalf.
The following morning, others awoke and noticed that the girl was not breathing and called 911. Che-Quiab admitted that he used the time before paramedics arrived to flush some of the remaining drugs down the toilet. Tragically, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later learned that during the same gathering Che-Quiab sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl to whom he had also supplied a large quantity of alcohol. A search of Che-Quiab’s apartment yielded approximately 300 pills containing fentanyl, disguised as blue “M-30” Oxycodone pills, in addition to several bricks of Heroin. The total street value of the recovered narcotics was in excess of $20,000.
Che-Quiab was charged with first degree murder (extreme indifference), felony murder, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, sexual assault of a child, enticement of a child, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, sexual assault (victim under 15), and attempted sexual assault.
Che-Quiab pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a jury trial commenced on April 25, 2022. Following the six-day trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on charges of manslaughter, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, sexual assault of a child, and sexual assault (victim under 15).
“This defendant used alcohol and extremely dangerous drugs to manipulate these girls for his own selfish purposes,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo, who tried the case with Chief Deputy Darcy Kofol. “When it became clear one of them needed immediate medical care, he callously chose to do nothing.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2022 at 3:00 pm. Che-Quiab faces a term of imprisonment of eight to 116 years to life.
“This is yet another tragic case underscoring the danger that fentanyl and other synthetic opioids pose,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who distribute these poisons in our community.”
The Honorable Judge Darren Vahle presided over the trial.

Prison for former Buckley airman who accidentally shot, killed wife

A former Airman stationed at Buckley Air Force base has been sentenced to four years in prison for accidentally shooting and killing his wife.

Brian Lebron-Rivera

Arapahoe District Judge Phillip Douglass sentenced Brian Lebron-Rivera, 23, to four years in the Department of Corrections followed by three years of parole for the death of Genesis Rodriquez, 20. Lebron-Rivera had pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter, a Class 4 felony, on Feb. 23.

“There is no indication this death was the result of anything other than a terrible and reckless accident. Anyone trained in using firearms knows you don’t point a gun at anyone,” Douglass told Lebron-Rivera. “It’s a huge responsibility to bear arms. … It’s important that when that right is abused, we address it.”

On Aug. 25, 2016, Lebron-Rivera called Arapahoe County Sheriff’s dispatchers to the Bristol Village Apartments at 17103 E Ohio Place. He said he had shot his wife and she was dead.

Arriving deputies found Rodriquez on the floor of the apartment with a gunshot wound to the head.

She was shot once, near her eye. She was pronounced dead at Medical Center of Aurora.

Lebron-Rivera told investigators he had been training his wife how to react if someone had a weapon. He was member of the security forces unit stationed at Buckley.

“He pointed a gun at his wife and pulled the trigger. This is a person trained in the use of firearms,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Gary Dawson said during sentencing. “This could have been prevented entirely simply by not pointing a gun at someone.”

District Attorney George Brauchler agreed it was a tragic case that called for incarceration.

“Being reckless with a football or baseball leads to a bruise or broken window. Being reckless with a gun leads to death and here, incarceration,” he said. “Whatever training the military provided was lost or ignored. On purpose or accident, guns kill. They are not toys.”