Crime & Safety
Former Aurora Police Lieutenant Found Guilty Of Misconduct
Leland Silver, 47, tried to steal the identity of a woman with a clean record to help his then-girlfriend pass criminal background checks.
CENTENNIAL, CO – A jury found a former Aurora police lieutenant guilty of first-degree official misconduct Friday for breaking department rules by using a confidential police database to try to help his then-girlfriend find a job. Judge Colleen Clark immediately sentenced him to 30 days in jail, suspended, with 12 months of probation, a statement from the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation found that in 2015, Silver's girlfriend, who had a common name, was having a hard time finding a job because she could not pass a criminal background check. Silver used the database to find a woman with an identical name who had no criminal record and stole the woman's identity, texting his girlfriend the woman's drivers license information, including date of birth and Social Security number, the DA's office said.
In April 2017, the now ex-girlfriend told Aurora police about the data breach. Aurora Police investigators, referred the investigation to the (CBI). Prosecutors said it was unclear whether the girlfriend had ever used the stolen information to apply for a job.
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"Accessing the databases (the National Crime Information Center/Colorado Crime Information Center (NCIC/CCIC) and DMV records) with the intent to obtain a benefit not only violates APD and CBI rules, but it is also a crime," the DA's office said in a statement.
Silver was fired by the Aurora PD and will have his police officer certification revoked, by state statute, the DA's office said.
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Prosecutors said Silver "abused his power" but putting an innocent person at risk of an identity theft.
"When a police officer misbehaves, it tarnishes the reputation of the entire profession," Senior Deputy District Attorney Amy Ferrin told the court. "He should never again be able to work as a public servant.”
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