DENVER (KDVR) -- A Jefferson County jury found a contractor guilty on Thursday of defrauding an older adult and exposing a neighborhood to asbestos materials, according to the Colorado Attorney General's Office.
Lance Slayton, who was indicted by a statewide grand jury in June 2023, was found guilty of criminal exploitation of an at-risk person, theft of an at-risk person, intentionally causing and contributing to a hazardous substance incident and two violations of the Air Quality Control Act.
The case stems from April 22, 2022, when a fire destroy a rental unit in an Arvada fourplex owned by a then-81-year-old woman. According to the grand jury indictment, the property owner hired a restoration company to secure the unit and perform asbestos testing, as it is a known carcinogen and a on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of hazardous air pollutants. The testing confirmed that asbestos was throughout the apartment.
Those two violations included Slayton knowingly releasing asbestos into ambient air with knowledge of placing another person in imminent risk of serious bodily injury or death. That is because Slayton allegedly hired a subcontractor that was not registered to perform asbestos abatement and did not inform the subcontractor of the asbestos spill in the unit.
The grand jury indictment also says Slayton rented an open-top dumpster for the materials the subcontractor would be removing.
In total, Slayton was paid over $71,000 for the alleged asbestos abatement by the older property owner, and did not complete the project.
"This case highlights the grave consequences of putting profit over safety and the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens," said Attorney General Phil Weiser in an announcement of the jury's findings. "A jury found that Slayton deceived an elderly woman, stole tens of thousands of dollars from her, and exposed workers and the public to dangerous asbestos contamination. This conviction reinforces our commitment to safeguard public health, protect older Coloradans from scams, and hold fraudulent contractors accountable."
At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Slayton hired unlicensed laborers and intentionally spilled and dumped a hazardous substance. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment inspected the property and found "serious public health violations at the worksite, including improper removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials and failure to prevent hazardous emissions."
The Attorney General's Office also said that not only were workers placed in dangerous positions, so were nearby residents.
Slayton is being held without bond in the Jefferson County Detention Facility and is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 20. Slayton's purported girlfriend Christina Beckner, according to the indictment, is scheduled to appear in court for this case on Dec. 9. She allegedly assisted in the scheme by handling paperwork and cashing the checks provided by the victim.