#Grand junction daily sentinel blotter driver

As the vehicles approached Exit 2 for Rabbit Valley the sedan slowed to take the exit. Bollen states, “There was a silver sedan in front of it in the right lane. I then observed the left turn signal come on and the white sport utility vehicle slowly pass the unmarked charger.”īollen’s report on the traffic stop describes becoming alerted to the SUV because it had taken five trips through the Grand Junction area from June, 2020 through January, 2021.Īs to the actual stop. I then observed the white sport utility vehicle close the distance on the charger and then I observed the brake lights come on the white sport utility vehicle come on. In part, the paragraph states: “I observed the unmarked HSI Charger Speed up for a short distance and then slow down. The paragraph describes the HSI vehicle slowing down in front of the SUV, leading to the lane change for which the SUV was pulled over. In addition, an entire paragraph was deleted from the original version. It also omits a mention of the two HSI vehicles passing Vrbas before Bollen and Trooper Connor Aydt, who was riding along with Bollen, passed him at a high rate of speed.Īlso omitted from the edited version was a mention of both unmarked HSI vehicles around the SUV (sports utility vehicle) in question. The version of Vrbas’ report that had been edited by Laing omitted an initial mention of two unmarked Homeland Security Investigations cars that were in the area of the investigation. 20, 2021, traffic stop near Rabbit Valley, in which Colorado State Patrol troopers said they found a large amount of cash concealed in a car. That trooper, Jeff Vrbas, was the author of the report that was later doctored to remove the reference to Homeland Security.Īsked by investigators if he had been instructed to omit references to Homeland Security operations in reports, Bollen said he had not and would mention them “when they became involved.”īut, when pressed on why he did not mention the specific involvement in that case, Bollen told investigators “I just didn’t think it mattered either way.” In fact, prior to Bollen following the suspected vehicle, another trooper had been following the car, but “could not find any probable cause to stop the vehicle,” according to the CBI investigation summary. The omission of the Homeland Security agents raised concerns that the Homeland Security involvement could be seen as manufactured probable cause used to initiate a traffic stop.

#Grand junction daily sentinel blotter driver

Bollen about not mentioning the fact that the silver vehicle was driven by an HSI Agent to me, or in his report, he stated ‘I don’t think it matters who the driver is or whether or not there is a violation.’”

He did admit the silver vehicle that was ‘followed too closely’ was a silver Dodge Charger, driven by a HSI agent,” Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent James Bennett wrote in his report. Bollen he neglected to tell me the part about two (2) HSI Agents also following the vehicle, but he stated he did not think that occurred. That CBI summary found that Laing altered a report, authored by a trooper other than Bollen, to hide the fact that an undercover Homeland Security car had been in front of the suspected vehicle before Bollen pulled the car over for allegedly following too closely.Īccording to a summary of the CBI interview, Bollen also neglected to tell CBI investigators that the stop was initiated with the help of Homeland Security. That information, along with details of court testimony that Bollen gave, was included in a copy of the report provided to The Daily Sentinel. The interview was voluntary, and Bollen did have an attorney listen in on the conversation. He is no longer with Colorado State Patrol.Ĭolorado Bureau of Investigation records show Bollen, also a member of the smuggling, trafficking and interdiction unit, was asked to speak with investigators on the matter, to which Bollen responded: “Do I have a choice?” The investigation found Laing, who oversaw State Patrol’s smuggling, trafficking and interdiction unit in Fruita, had substantially altered at least 13 reports. Aaron Laing, who removed a reference to an undercover Homeland Security car that was part of the case.

He was involved in the traffic stop that would eventually lead to an investigation into former State Patrol Sgt. Bollen has had two of his cases tossed by the Colorado Supreme Court and was also the officer involved in a marijuana stop that overestimated the weight of the contraband by more than 1,000 pounds.