Coen gets 13-year jail sentence

A judge has sentenced former Quality Paving Vice President Dennis Coen to 13 years in prison for theft of Adams County funds.

District Judge Steven Shinn handed down the sentence April 12.

An Adams County jury on Jan. 11 found Coen guilty of multiple felony counts of theft, forgery and attempt to influence a public official.

Krista Flannigan, a spokesperson with the Adams County District Attorney’s office, said that the district attorney asked the judge to sentence Coen to 25 years.

“DA (Don) Quick and Adams County Sheriff (Doug Darr) reserve any comment at this time except to thank Adams County Sheriff’s detectives Jeremy Whytock and Terry Miles, and prosecutors Dave Young and Jess Redman, for all of their efforts in this case,” Flannigan said.

Coen will serve his time at the Colorado Department of Corrections, starting immediately.

Coen is one of seven defendants against whom the district attorney’s office filed charges. The case centers on allegations that employees with the county and Quality Paving were involved in overbilling, billing for work never done and letting a private company use county equipment. The district attorney’s office alleges that taxpayers were billed for $1.8 million of work that was never done.

Former county public works chief Leland “Lee” Asay entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment on Friday, April 13. His trial is set to begin Sept. 13.

Former owner and president of Quality Paving/Quality Resurfacing Jerry Rhea was found guilty Feb. 6. A judge is expected to issue a ruling this week on Rhea’s request to have his conviction overturned, Flannigan said.

Former county construction manager Sam Gomez’s trial is set to begin Monday, April 30.

Former paving company worker Louie Schimpf was acquitted in October 2011. Paving company worker Heath Russo and former county construction inspector Stacey Parkin pleaded guilty to lesser charges in exchange for testifying against the others involved.