Disgruntled Web Customer Charged With Terrorizing Boulder Pair

BOULDER, CO -- A dissatisfied Oregon web design client is accused of traveling to Boulder, posing as an FBI agent and attacking and threatening to kill two employees of a Boulder tech company. Daniel Shea, 45, was charged Feb. 14 in Boulder criminal court with extortion, impersonating an officer, two counts of kidnapping, first-degree burglary, attempted aggravated robbery and other assault charges.

Shea, of Corvallis, Oregon, was allegedly disgruntled by the amount of money he paid for the website for his yoga-based travel company, designed by the Goozmo web-design firm in Boulder, according to his arrest affidavit. Shea and another man, who went by the name "Davy," arrived Friday morning at the home-office of the company at 1645 Canyon Blvd.

The men told police Shea was wearing black rubber gloves and a raid vest with the letters "FBI" on it with tactical gear, a Taser, knives and a gun in a holster. Shea allegedly handcuffed the two employees and then knocked them down and threatened them with a handgun to the head, held a knife to their necks and shocked them with stun guns.

Shea allegedly told the two that the $30,000 he had paid for a website for his company yogible.com had "ruined his life" and demanded they take out home equity loans to pay him back. He also allegedly demanded another $20,000 to pay three people he claimed he paid to watch them and "hurt of kill them if they went to the police," the affidavit said. Shea allegedly threatened the families of the employees and mentioned the daughter of one. He claimed one of his associates was a "German hacker" who would destroy the company's servers and website on his command. He also demanded a formal apology be sent to his private email account.

Shea was arrested Sunday in Lyons by the Boulder County SWAT team. Boulder police issued a call to the public to help identify the suspect called "Davy."

Shea is in custody at the Boulder County Jail, where he is being held on a $1 million bond. He's scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 8.

Image Daniel Shea via Boulder County Sheriff