Colorado Springs Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Gun and Drug Crimes
DENVER -- The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that a federal jury found Christopher Barron of Colorado Springs, guilty of six charges related to guns and drugs, including possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to facts presented at a three-day trial in Denver, law enforcement executed a search warrant in January 2021, on a Lincoln Town Car registered to Barron, who was a convicted felon on parole for a weapons offense. The Lincoln Town Car was parked outside a motel in Colorado Springs. Inside the trunk of the car, investigators discovered over $18,000 in cash, a backpack that held six firearms, and approximately 349 grams of methamphetamine, in addition to heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine.
“Our office continues to prioritize gun crimes, especially when combined with drug trafficking – a truly dangerous combination,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their continued work making our communities safer by investigating these offenses.”
"Keeping our communities safe remains our top priority," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. "We are grateful for our partnership with the Colorado Springs Police Department as it strengthens our ability to combat violent crime and carry out our unified mission.”
United States District Court Senior Judge R. Brooke Jackson presided over the jury trial, which returned guilty verdicts on April 19, 2023. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Colorado Springs Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Colorado Department of Corrections Office of Parole, and the Colorado Springs Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Minser and Dan Warhola. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Young handled the forfeiture.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Case No. 21-cr-00078
