A man from San Luis Valley, Brett Andrew Nelson, has been sentenced to 12 years in the Department of Corrections. The sentence comes after he was found guilty of extortion and threatening judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, attorneys, and citizens across Gunnison, Montrose, and Alamosa counties over a span of two years. Last month, a jury convicted Nelson on 20 out of 24 counts that were brought against him by a statewide grand jury in April 2022.
Attorney General Phil Weiser commented on the case saying, "Brett Nelson’s actions undermined the integrity of our legal system and endangered the safety of several Coloradans who were doing their job. This conviction and sentencing advances the rule of law and protects public safety."
State prosecutors revealed that since 2018, Nelson had been using tactics similar to those used by sovereign citizens to file fraudulent documents such as powers of attorney and default judgments against public officials involved in his criminal and domestic relations cases. He also filed documents containing threats towards judges and announced liens on their properties to influence case outcomes. In some instances, he submitted powers of attorney granting himself authority to represent judges in an attempt to dismiss cases involving him.
The trial presented further evidence showing Nelson's submission of fraudulent quitclaim deeds on multiple properties to transfer ownership to himself. These properties belonged to individuals connected with his legal matters including victims and law enforcement officers. Additionally, he filed false default judgments against people involved in his cases, including the mother of his child.
The verdict was reached by a jury at the March trial held in Gunnison County District Court after five hours of deliberation.