Denver Criminal Impersonation Lawyer

Pretending to be someone else, using a false identity to gain a benefit, or impersonating a law enforcement officer can all land a person in serious criminal trouble under Colorado law. What looks like a minor deception to some people is prosecuted as a felony in many cases. Denver criminal impersonation lawyer Reid DeChant defends people accused of these charges across the Denver metro area, including in Adams, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Broomfield counties.

What Colorado Actually Charges Under Criminal Impersonation

Colorado Revised Statutes Section 18-5-113 defines criminal impersonation broadly. It covers situations where someone assumes a false identity with the intent to unlawfully gain a benefit, defraud another person, or cause injury to another. The statute is written widely enough to reach a range of conduct that people do not always associate with the word “impersonation.”

This can include using someone else’s name or Social Security number on a job application, posing as another person during a traffic stop, creating a false identity online to obtain something of value, or assuming someone’s identity to open credit accounts. Pretending to be a peace officer is charged separately under Section 18-8-112 and carries its own penalties.

Because the statute focuses on intent, prosecutors often build these cases around circumstantial evidence. What you said to someone, what you typed, what documents you submitted, and what you stood to gain all become part of the government’s theory. That framing matters for how a defense is built.

Felony Classification and What It Means in Practice

Criminal impersonation in Colorado is a class 6 felony. That places it at the lower end of the felony scale, but it is still a felony. A conviction carries a presumptive range of 12 to 18 months in the Department of Corrections, with an optional range extending to two years. Courts also have discretion to impose fines and probation.

The felony label is what tends to do the most damage long-term. A class 6 felony conviction in Colorado shows up on background checks. It affects housing applications, professional licenses, federal financial aid eligibility, firearm rights, and immigration status. For someone with a CDL, a professional license, or a visa, those downstream consequences can outweigh the sentence itself.

Impersonating a peace officer carries a class 6 felony charge as well, but if it is accompanied by an assertion that the person is carrying a firearm or if the act leads to bodily injury, the charge can elevate. Understanding where on the charging spectrum your case actually sits is the first substantive question to answer.

Where These Cases Come from in Denver

Criminal impersonation cases in Denver arise from a handful of recurring fact patterns. Identity theft investigations often trigger these charges when someone is caught using another person’s credentials at a bank, government office, or employer. Domestic situations sometimes produce charges when one person uses another’s identity, often a former partner’s, to cause financial harm or access accounts.

Traffic stops generate a significant portion of these arrests, particularly when someone provides a false name or hands an officer another person’s ID. The Denver Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office have both flagged identity verification at traffic stops as a recurring source of these charges. Sometimes the person doing it has an outstanding warrant and panics. The intent element is still present even when the motive is understandable.

Online conduct is an increasingly common source of charges. Using a fake name to solicit something of value, impersonate a business, or deceive a private individual can all fall under the statute depending on what the person was trying to obtain. Denver’s proximity to major tech employers and its large gig economy create more digital paper trails than most people expect.

How the Defense Actually Works

Intent is the word the statute returns to again and again. The government must show that you assumed a false identity with the intent to gain a benefit, defraud, or cause injury. That is not always easy to prove. A person who gave a wrong name because they were confused, intoxicated, or coerced is in a different position from someone who planned an identity scheme. The facts matter.

Evidence challenges are common in these cases. If officers stopped someone without legal grounds, anything they learned during that stop, including a false name, may be suppressible. If digital evidence was collected without proper process, that can be challenged. Witness reliability matters too, particularly when the alleged victim is someone who had a prior conflict with the defendant.

Charge reduction is a realistic outcome in many impersonation cases, particularly for first-time offenders. Colorado’s deferred judgment and sentencing statute allows some defendants to avoid a felony conviction entirely if they complete conditions and stay out of trouble. Whether that option is available depends on the specifics of your case, your record, and the position of the prosecutor assigned to it.

Reid DeChant’s background includes time as a public defender in Denver, Broomfield, and Adams County, where he handled cases ranging from traffic offenses to serious felonies. That experience on the ground in the courts where these cases are actually filed shapes how he approaches case strategy, not in the abstract, but in the specific courtroom with the specific judge and prosecutor involved.

Questions About Criminal Impersonation Charges in Colorado

Is criminal impersonation always a felony in Colorado?

Under the main statute, yes. Colorado classifies criminal impersonation as a class 6 felony. There is no misdemeanor version under Section 18-5-113. That said, related conduct, such as certain fraud offenses, can sometimes be charged at the misdemeanor level depending on how prosecutors frame the allegations and what the facts support.

Can I be charged with criminal impersonation for using a fake name online?

Potentially. The statute covers assuming a false identity with intent to gain a benefit or defraud. Simply using a pseudonym is not enough. But using a false identity to obtain money, goods, services, or something else of value from another person can satisfy the statute. The key is what you were trying to accomplish, not just whether the name was fake.

What happens if I was just trying to avoid a warrant at a traffic stop?

That is one of the most common scenarios. Giving a false name to an officer is a separate offense under Colorado law, and it can also satisfy the criminal impersonation statute depending on what occurred. The outstanding warrant itself will need to be addressed. An attorney can help you understand the full picture of what you are facing and how to address each charge strategically.

Does a criminal impersonation conviction affect immigration status?

It can. A felony conviction involving fraud or deceit can trigger serious immigration consequences, including bars to naturalization, grounds for deportation, and issues with visa renewals. Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen and is facing an impersonation charge should discuss immigration consequences with defense counsel before making any decisions about how to resolve the case.

What is a deferred judgment and how does it apply here?

A deferred judgment is an agreement where a defendant pleads guilty but the court holds off on entering the conviction. If the defendant completes a probationary period without violations, the plea is withdrawn and the case is dismissed. It is one of the tools that can allow someone facing a felony impersonation charge to avoid a permanent conviction. Eligibility depends on the facts, your record, and the agreement of the prosecution.

Can a criminal impersonation charge be sealed from my record?

Colorado’s record sealing laws allow certain offenses to be sealed after a waiting period has passed following the end of the sentence. Felony convictions generally have longer waiting periods than misdemeanors. If a case results in dismissal or a deferred judgment that is later dismissed, sealing is often available sooner. The specifics depend on the disposition of your case.

How is criminal impersonation different from identity theft in Colorado?

They overlap but are distinct. Identity theft under Section 18-5-902 specifically involves using another person’s financial or identifying information without permission. Criminal impersonation is broader and covers assuming any false identity, including a completely fictitious one, not just stealing a real person’s credentials. Prosecutors sometimes charge both statutes in the same case when the facts support it.

Speak with a Denver Criminal Impersonation Attorney

A felony charge does not resolve itself, and the options available early in a case are often narrower later. DeChant Law defends clients facing criminal impersonation charges in Denver and throughout the surrounding counties. Reid brings courtroom experience, a background as a public defender, and a straightforward approach to each case. Reach out to discuss what you are dealing with and get a clear picture of what your options actually are from a Denver criminal impersonation attorney who has handled these cases in the courts where yours will be decided.