DENVER - Arthur Ray Hickman, age 45, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez to serve 24 months in prison for being a felon in possession of explosives, United States Attorney John Walsh, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Andrew Traver announced. After serving his sentence, Judge Martinez ordered Hickman to spend 3 years on supervised release. Hickman, who appeared at the hearing in custody, was remanded.
Hickman was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on July 11, 2012. He pled guilty to on Feb. 11, 2013. He was sentenced on May 29, 2013.
According to court records, including the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on Feb. 17, 2012, an officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) responded to money advancing business on North Academy Blvd., in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to investigate a fraud allegation. The officer interviewed a vault teller at the business, who reported the a person, who turned out to be Hickman, had tried to cash what she believed to be a fraudulent check.
Colorado Springs police officers conducted an investigation into the fraud allegation, with Hickman as a suspect. A CSPD detective took over the investigation since he was familiar with Hickman and his activities, mostly focused on identity theft and forgeries. The detective noted that Hickman was previously identified as possibly conducting illegal activity involving the use of computers for producing fake identifications. He was also suspected of stealing a machine that makes ID cards from a Denver Department of Motor Vehicle office, a micro SD card containing templates for all 50 states’ drivers licenses, and a VIN plate maker.
On April 12, 2012, officers executed a search warrant at Hickman’s home. During the subsequent search, detectives found in Hickman’s bedroom a box containing three sticks of dynamite. Hickman, a prior felon, knowingly illegally possessed the dynamite. Hickman had done research to determine how safe it was to store dynamite in his bedroom. The dynamite that Hickman possessed is an explosive under federal law.
Prior to Hickman’s possession of the dynamite he had been convicted of: receiving/known stolen property (San Diego County, CA); felon/addict/possess firearm (Minnehaha County, SD); possession of controlled substance (El Paso County, CO); forgery-government issued document (El Paso County, CO); ID theft-possess with intent to use, conspiracy (El Paso County, CO); ID theft-possess with intent to use (El Paso County, CO).
“Thanks to the outstanding work of the Colorado Springs Police Department and the ATF, an individual who was a felon in possession of dynamite and involved in identity theft has been sent to prison for his crimes," said U.S. Attorney John Walsh.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Hickman was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Sibert. #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
