Son of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert pleads guilty to attempted identity theft, avoids felony conviction with deferred judgment

Tyler Boebert, the 19-year-old son of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, pleaded guilty Thursday in Garfield County Court to charges stemming from his Feb. 27 arrest. Boebert was arrested by Rifle Police after a series of incidents of vehicle break-ins and theft of property. He initially faced 22 charges, including multiple counts of identity theft and conspiracy.

In the presence of his family, Boebert pleaded guilty to one count of attempted identity theft, a class five felony, as part of a plea agreement. The other charges were dismissed.

Ninth Judicial Judge Judge John Neiley explained the possible consequences Boebert could have faced if the plea deal had not been reached, citing a potential sentence of one to three years by the Department of Corrections and a possible fine of $100,000.

The deal includes a two-year deferred adjudication, meaning Boebert will avoid a felony conviction if he successfully completes his probation.

“If you successfully complete the probationary period under probation, that felony will be dismissed, so you will not have a felony on your record,” Neiley added. “That’s a huge benefit to you because if you have a felony on your record, you can’t own guns and you’ll have a hard time getting a job. It will just be bad news all round. You are a young man. You don’t want this on your record.

Prosecutor Virginia Sorrell stressed the seriousness of the charges.

“Mr. Boebert was 18 years old at the time of these events and had no criminal history in this case. So this is a very serious way to come into contact with the criminal justice system,” Sorrell said. “This provision gives Mr. Boebert the opportunity to successfully complete his probation and avoid a felony conviction at such a young age. The terms and conditions of this probation are left to the discretion of the court.

Sorrell also recommended that Boebert perform community service while on probation, adding that there was no indication that substance abuse played a role in his actions. Neiley agreed, requiring Boebert to complete 80 hours of community service during his first year of probation.

“You were 18 years old when you committed this offense,” Neiley said, addressing Boebert’s age and clean criminal record. “To my knowledge, you have no criminal record, and this is an opportunity you should not waste.” »

Neiley also reminded Boebert of the impact his actions had on the victims.

“You must also recognize that what you did also significantly affected the lives of the victims in this case,” Neiley said before imposing the two-year deferred judgment, along with 80 hours of community service .

Boebert will begin probation immediately. If he violates the terms of the deferred judgment, Boebert could face a felony conviction and other legal consequences.