A man from the San Luis Valley was given a 12-year prison term for threatening judges and engaging in extortion in multiple counties on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
Brett Andrew Nelson was taken into custody in Gunnison on Feb. 15, 2023, for various serious accusations of criminal extortion, retaliation against a judge, attempt to influence a public servant, as well as stalking, forgery, and other charges.
In April 2022, a grand jury at the state level found Nelson guilty of 20 out of 24 charges for engaging in extortion and making threats against several judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, attorneys, and citizens in Gunnison, Montrose, and Alamosa Counties over a two-year period.
As per the 24-count indictment, Nelson submitted numerous deceitful documents against a range of public officials and individuals associated with criminal and domestic cases in which he was a defendant, and asserted that they owed him millions of dollars in financial damages. He also filed documents containing menacing statements aimed at judges and allegedly tried to dismiss cases he was charged in by seeking power of attorney of the involved judges, as stated in the indictment.
Information presented at the trial indicates that Nelson presented false deeds for multiple properties to transfer ownership to himself, as per a 2023 statement from the Colorado Attorney General. The properties were owned by various individuals involved in Nelson’s criminal and domestic cases, including victims and law enforcement officers. Nelson also filed incorrect default judgments against individuals connected to his cases, including the mother of his child, as stated in the release.
“Brett Nelson’s actions undermined the integrity of our legal system and endangered the safety of several Coloradans who were doing their job,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office handled the case. “This conviction and sentencing supports the rule of law and ensures public safety.”
