DENVER — A man charged in connection with the vandalism of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument at Denver's City Park received a deferred sentence and ordered to pay nearly $70,000 in restitution.
Robert Duran, 47, pleaded guilty in Denver District Court Friday to one count of criminal mischief, a felony. He was immediately given a two-year deferred sentence and ordered to pay $69,900 in restitution, according to court records.
With a deferred sentence, a case can be dismissed if the person charged meets certain conditions during a probationary period. If they violate those terms, they can be sentenced to jail time.
Duran turned himself in last February after Denver Police said he "assisted with the damaging of one of the stolen metal pieces" at the "I Have a Dream" monument. Three pieces that were stolen from the monument in mid-February were recovered after they were sold as scrap metal, police said.
Denver Parks and Recreation maintenance staff noticed the pieces missing from the monument on Feb. 21 and reported the theft to police. Police Chief Ron Thomas said the police department sent out an alert to local scrap metal companies, and two days later, one of the scrap companies reported the stolen items had been turned in.
The large plaque stolen from the monument was cut into four pieces before it was sold to the company, police said. The investigation found the thefts from the monument happened between 3 and 6 a.m. on Feb. 18.
Police said because the stolen pieces were sold as scrap metal, they did not believe the crime was bias-motivated.
The MLK Colorado Holiday Commission held a fundraiser to replace the stolen pieces. Community leaders said the money raised – nearly $10,000 – would help pay for repairs to the memorial and for security, more lighting and surveillance cameras. The monument's creator, Ed Dwight, recently finished restoring the monument.
Another suspect, 68-year-old Herman Duran, was arrested on theft and criminal mischief charges 10 days after Robert Duran turned himself in. He's due in court for an arraignment on Nov. 7.