You have a chance to learn a lot more about fighting crime in the Pikes Peak region.

El Paso County and Colorado Springs law enforcement, including the District Attorney's Office will teach you everything you need to know at the Citizen's Academy, also called the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office Citizen's College.

"This can be considered real life Law and Order," D.A. Spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh told NF5, "From law enforcement professionals, from prosecutors, from District Attorney Dan May, you'll learn about homicides, what's the difference between a felony, a misdemeanor, how juveniles are treated in the process, some of our diversion programs and prevention programs."

For information on signing up for the DA's Citizen's College call them at 520-6000, or click here.

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A mortgage broker and her boss will lose their professional licenses and be forced to pay up to $78,000 in fines and restitution.

News First Investigates first uncovered complaints against Mortgage Broker April Bigler 2 years ago. 

This week the Attorney General's Office announced a settlement in the case he filed against them a year after our first report aired.


-----------------ANNOUNCEMENT OF FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE---------------------------

Attorney General announces settlement with Pueblo West duo engaged in deceptive trade practices

DENVER - Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that his office has reached a settlement with Colorado Springs-based Independence Planning, dba Alternative Lending of Colorado, and two of its top employees. Under the settlement, approved by a Fremont County District Court judge, the company and its managing general partner, James W. Dale III (DOB: 4/4/1945), and top loan originator, April A. Bigler (DOB: 10/15/1980), have been ordered to pay more than $78,000 in fines and restitution.

"Irresponsible and deceptive lending practices certainly contributed to the foreclosure crisis Colorado and other states have faced over the past several years," Suthers said. "This settlement and its terms should serve as a warning to mortgage originators that place their bottom line ahead of their responsibilities under Colorado law."

Under the settlement, Bigler will be assessed $33,770 in restitution and $14,000 in civil penalties. All but $10,800 of the total will be suspended if she complies with the terms of the settlement. Under the settlement, Dale and Independence Planning will be assessed $16,885 in restitution and $14,000 in civil penalties. All but $7,200 of Dale and Independence Planning's total also will be suspended if they comply with the terms of the settlement. The settlement also requires that Bigler and Dale voluntarily surrender their mortgage loan originator licenses and notify the Office of the Attorney General if they intend to work in a mortgage-related business again.

According to the complaint filed in October 2009 Bigler engaged in deceptive trade practices, including misrepresenting loans' interest rates, quoting monthly mortgage payments to consumers that did not include taxes and insurance costs, and delaying closings to pressure consumers into signing a mortgage. The complaint also alleges that Bigler worked with appraisers to over-value homes, resulting in borrowers owing more on their homes than they were worth; failed to attend closings, which did not allow borrowers to ask questions about the terms of their loans; inflated borrowers' incomes on their mortgage applications; and failed to provide timely, accurate or complete disclosures to borrowers. Dale is alleged to have known about Bigler's misconduct and not taken any disciplinary action.

Independence Planning voluntarily dissolved on Dec. 1, 2009.

To learn more about the Office of the Attorney General's efforts at combating mortgage fraud or to learn more about your options if you are either in or facing foreclosure, visit the office's Mortgage Fraud Information Center .

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Fountain Police Chief Dan Corsentino is now responding to allegations that News First Investigates uncovered.  Corsentino wouldn't sit down for an in depth interview with News First Investigates, instead he released a written statement.

We got a tip that the Chief was at the office writing a news release to respond to our report. Since he never returned our calls, we went down to the office to save him some time and let him respond in person.

A secretary told us he was in meetings and wouldn't be able to do an interview today, but would issue a news release.

In Corsentino's written response, he does admit Jeanne Assam was given the title of "Training Coordinator" for Fountain Police, even though she was never an employee.

He also says he did hire a comedian to reduce employee stress as part of his strategic plan. 

Some of his other responses raise more questions than answers.  Questions we hope to ask in an on camera interview with the Chief.  You can read his full response below.
 
Meantime, information from some office staffers is coming out slowly.  Our source tells us if they come forward publicly they risk losing their jobs. It's an issue that goes beyond the Chief of Police, straight to Fountain City Hall.

"Members of the police department are not going to come forward because they've all been threatened with termination," our informant says, "They've been told that even if a department head does something illegal you're not to go forward with it."  The source went on to say it was a City Hall Administrator who made that statement. "The Human Resources Director made it very clear to employees that even if it's illegal, don't go forward with it."

Human resources Director Bob Smith says that's not true. "(I) have never made a comment like that, just I don't.  No other way to answer it than that's not a correct statement," he said.

Mike Violette, executive director with the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police tells News First Investigates, the union's received many complaints from officers and staffers in the Fountain Police Department over the past fw months. He describes it as "more complaints than we would normally see in a department" and "primarily against Chief Corsentino."

He says the complaints "obviously rise to the level of public concern."

He also says future lawsuits against the City of Fountain could be file, and because of that he can't comment in much more detail.

Corsentino sent a two page response to News First.

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More questions are surfacing after the resignation of a local police chief.  A few employees inside the Fountain Police Department tell News First Investigates there's much more to the story.

We've confirmed a complaint was filed about 2 months ago by man who thinks his wife was having an inappropriate relationship with Police Chief Dan Corsentino.  The husband who filed the complaint tells News First Investigates that it surrounds sexually-laced text messages between his wife and the Chief.

He says the Colorado Springs Police Department headed up the investigation. The CSPD will not confirm that, but referred us to the City of Fountain.

Sources inside the Fountain Police Department tell News First 5 the internal affairs investigation into that complaint was recently completed.  News First Investigates has requested a copy of the report from the City of Fountain, but has not received a response.  News First 5 is also requesting all emails and text messages sent from the Chief of Police.

While looking into that, we've been hearing other complaints about the Chief from officers in the department. 

A high ranking insider asking to remain anonymous for now, tells us Corsentino's spending was over the top.  Records News First Investigates obtained show it's not uncommon to see Corsentino's monthly credit card bills over a thousand dollars.  He also spent thousands of tax dollars filling up the gas tank on his patrol car.

"Taxpayers were funding his travels to and from Pueblo," our source says.  Corsentino's home is in Pueblo.  That kind of gasoline billing stopped in January, when concerns were raised. Corsentino started driving his personal car.

Insiders also point to other examples of questionable spending, including a comedian from California brought in for a police department retreat. Overall, the comedian's trip cost taxpayers more than $2,000.  Catering for the event was $722.  We're told officers thought it was a waste of money.

"We have patrol cars that need tires, windshields, radios... there's these equipment needs and obviously bringing in a comedian was more of a priority than actually taking care of basic needs." Our source says, "So, it was seen as a waste of city taxpayer money."

Besides money management issues, another thing that bothered officers involves Jeanne Assam, famous for bringing down the New Life Church shooter in 2007.  They have no issues with her, except someone at the police department apparently lied and said she was an employee, so she could attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention last Fall.  Junk mail addressed to "Fountain Police Trainer" Jeanne Assam keeps coming to the Fountain Police Department.

"Jeanne Assam was never an employee in the City of Fountain, nor a volunteer... no relation to the department," says our source.

News first Investigates left a message for Chief Corsentino, but it was not returned.

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The ex-con who shot up a house with women and children inside when he was working as an FBI informant, is heading back to prison again.

Robert Rodarte pleaded guilty to attempted murder in a plea deal that lands him behind bars for 18 years.  His mandatory release date is December 2028.  His first shot at parole is at a hearing scheduled for September 1, 2018.

The plea deal will keep a lid on any possible answers to questions raised by News First Investigates last Fall. 

A News First Investigates source close to the FBI Task Force's operation, claims that some members of the Task Force made mistakes the night of the shooting.  The mistakes included, not having the proper surveillance equipment to monitor a meeting of alleged gang members "live" when the shooting was planned.  Court records show that meeting happened inside a Colorado Springs hotel room paid for by  the FBI Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force.

Court records we obtained also show Rodarte was "wearing a wire" when he shot up the house of an alleged rival gang member -- Jorge Perez.

Perez was later arrested on drug charges by the same FBI Task Force that Rodarte was working for. Court records also show Rodarte and several other alleged gang members were seeking revenge against Perez for an earlier incident, in which they claimed Perez beat up a member of the gang Rodarte was with.

The FBI and 4th Judicial District District Attorney's Office both say they can't comment on the case, until the co-defendents all get their day in court.

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Some Olympic and World Class athletes want to know why there's a proposal to move them out of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

It all leaked out this past week, when word about moving USA Pentathlon and it's athletes from the Springs to San Antonio, Texas reached the media.

It all leaked out this past week, when word about moving USA Pentathlon and it's athletes from the Springs to San Antonio, Texas reached the media.

Several Pentathletes training at the Olympic Training Center in Colroado Springs told News First Investigates they don't want to leave. 

"There's really no place else that's as good to train for Modern Pentathlon, everything's right here," said Margaux Isaksen.

Pentathlete Dennis Bowsher says the OTC has everything they need within walking distance including, "Sports Med, Sports Science, dining hall everything's just right here one location."

"Fantastic training great place to live, just can't beat it anywhere else," Pentathlete Will Brady told us.

The athletes and their coach told us they were shocked to here about a plan being floated by a 1960 Olympic Pentathlete to move the program to Texas, because no one ever asked them about it.

"We were all a little floored," said Brady. 

"I would expect that they would consult, especially the elite athletes that are training here in Colorado Springs," said Isaksen, "so to just bring this out of the blue was definitely a shocker."

Last week News First Investigates got wind of it, and like the athletes, wants to know why anyone would consider forcing them to leave the Springs.  Shortly after we made some calls about it, USA Pentathlon issued a statement through it's website stating the elite athletes would not move.

The proposal to move them was made by 1960 Olympic Bronze Medalist Robert Beck, who lives in San Antonio.  We haven't been able to get a hold of him to ask why he wants to move the program and the athletes out of the Springs.

Robert Stull is the interim CEO for USA Pentathlon and says this is all a misunderstanding.  "We love Colorado Springs. Our athletes are happy, our coaches are happy, we're happy and we want to be part of the Olympic family in the community here," he told News First Investigates.
 
Olympian Eli Bremer isn't so sure.  He says the official statement from USA Pentathlon is carefully worded and he fears his sport's National Governing Body could be moved out of the Springs.  He also says there are mixed messages, since behind the scenes the talk is that Beck's proposal is being considered.  Bremer says it's also troubling that the USOC didn't choose anyone from the Springs to be on the board that governs pentathlon, someone who "could've stopped this moving the athletes and program talk before it got out of hand."

"They didn't pick one single person from Colorado Springs and I think that may be partly what's driving the issue," Bremer told News First Investigates, "I would like to see at least a few and maybe a substantial number of our board members from the Colorado Springs business community."

Stull says he's not sure why the USOC didn't appoint anyone from Colorado Springs to the board.  "Ii think that's a good question," he said, "I think that certainly we'd like to have representation, the board is looking to expand absolutely."

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Read the Grand Jury Indictment

 

News First 5 is uncovering even more allegations against a former state fair executive. It involves state money and a close friend of the executive. 

The friend has also been indicted by a grand jury in a separate case - involving arson.  Michael Clower's arson trial is scheduled for August. 

Right now, News First 5 wants to know if he received the equivalent of roughly $10,000 in state money from his friend, former state fair exec Janelle Gonzales.

NF5 obtained a state contract that shows no money was paid to rent out a 42,000 square foot state fair building for 4 days to sell fireworks.  The building rents for $1,750 a day, with a $500 deposit, but not for Michael Clower and his business partners.  Clower's friend, Gonzales, wrote up the contract and gave them use of the facility for free. 

We also obtained a purchase order in which Gonzales paid Clower $2,000 in public money to rent a flatbed trailer for 2 days at the fair.  We found you can rent the same type of trailer, and larger ones, for $100 a day.

State Fair Manager Chris Wiseman says the fair didn't know about these new allegations when they fired her earlier this year.  Wiseman says he trusted Gonzales completely, and has known her for 13 years.  "We got to know each other when she and I both worked for governor Roy Romer," he said.

Wiseman says the incidents we asked him about are separate from the original complaints brought to him by another state fair employee.  He says the Clower-Gonzales deals did not get his approval and were not appropriate.

Gonzales did not return News First 5's call for an interview.

Clower will not agree to an on camera interview, but did send us this written response:

"I have never received special treatment from Janelle Gonzales or any other employee of the Colorado State Fair. Concerning the rental of the trailer for 4 days, I was called by Janelle and did rent it to the Colorado State Fair. Concerning the rental of the Ag Palace, the written agreement dated 3/9/09 was part of a Colorado State Fair sponsorship. At no time was I aware of any wrong doing within the management of the Colorado State Fair.

Now and in the future, I have no further comments regarding any of the issues, problems or investigations that involve the Colorado State Fair. Any further comments would NOT be in the best interest of our Community, the Colorado State Fair, or any on-going investigations that may arise."

---------------------PREVIOUS VERSION------------------------

News First 5 now has copies of the criminal indictment against a former state fair executive. 

Janelle Gonzales is accused of stealing $9,486.79 from a safe at the state fair accounting office, as well as using a state procurement card to make purchases for herself.

Some of the purchases include gasoline, groceries and paying her own utility bill. 

The indictment also alleges she submitted false travel vouchers and received reimbursement for money spent on meetings she never attended, and stole rental fees that were paid to the fair for events throughout the year.

State Fair Manager Chris Wiseman tells News First 5, Gonzales was a trusted state fair executive who had authority over accounts,contracts and purchase orders.  Wiseman first met Gonzales when the 2 of them worked for Governor Roy Romer 13 years ago.

He says he trusted her completely. The state has now tightened it's financial controls and procedures, which means Wiseman will now sign off on all contracts, something Gonzales was allowed to do herself in some instances.

------------------PREVIOUS VERSION-------------------------------

A former State Fair employee has just been indicted on 5 felony counts, including theft and embezzlement.

A Pueblo judge signed the 5 count indictment against Janelle Gonzales this morning. She's accused of illegally taking state fair money for her own use.

Gonzales was a high ranking state fair employee with access to accounts and contracts.  She was fired earlier this year after an internal investigation. She's appealing her firing, and it's unclear if this indictment what, if anything, the indictment might mean for her appeal.

News First 5 Investigative Reporter James Jarman has received tips accusing Gonzales of alleged wrongdoing that are separate from the indictment.

We will have much more on all of this for you later tonight News First 5 and of course here on newsfirst5.com.

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The US Postal Service says it's taken action after seeing our hidden camera report on a letter carrier who lost his driver's license after a 2nd drunk driving arrest, and was then being driven around his route by other post office workers.

Even though the USPS initially defended the actions taken with the Colorado Springs letter carrier, after our story hit the airwaves and internet, the carrier was reassigned to an inside job.

Communications Programs Specialist Al DeSarro told News First 5 that the USPS "found other productive work for that letter carrier, he has been doing duties.  Mainly I think in sorting of the mail back at his Post Office or another Colorado Springs station, in which he's still able to do productive work."

DeSarro is the friendly face of post office public affairs for the western region. He was told to speak with us, after we initially asked to speak with the USPS Office of Inspector General.  It's website states that they "play a key role in maintaining the integrity and accountability of america's postal service, its revenue and assets, and its employees." They also employ "more than 1,100 auditors, investigators, and professional support personnel stationed in more than 90 offices to meet the challenge of preserving this trust."

But they weren't talking to us.  Instead they told Al to talk to us.

DeSarro says he did talk to the USPS national office, but unfortunately he didn't have an answer for the big question we'd been asking about, "how often across the country does this type of letter carrier/DUI and driving around scenario happen?"

DeSarro told us the USPS doesn't "maintain those records on a national level, regional level, even on a local district level."

With 37,000 postal facilities in America, it appears we may never get an answer to that, or an answer to other questions.  Including, how many DUI's can a letter carrier get before he/she loses their job or is permanently reassigned to an inside job?

DeSarro says they're sure this kind of thing is very rare.  Right now in Colorado there are only 4 similar cases they could find.  There are 3,500 letter carriers in our state. 

The USPS contract with letter carriers does require the postal service to make every effort to reassign a driver who's driver's license was suspended or revoced.  DeSarro said this situation might be re-evaluated with the letter carrier union.

"The contract is done on the national basis and I think that's something that's going to be reviewed, once the contract, current labor agreement ends that will be looked at," he said.

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Several neighbors who live near the home that an FBI informant is accused of shooting up, say the home's been the center of police activity in their neighborhood for at least the past year.

The neighbors are afraid to come forward publicly, but share the same story. "I'm... I'm afraid for my family," one neighbor told us.  Another wrote in an email that the home's "been targets of drive-by shooting multiple times."

Police records obtained by News First 5 back up some of their claims, showing officers have been called out to the home 20 times in the past 17 months for everything from fireworks and noise complaints to disturbances and a drive by shooting. 

The nature of 4 police call outs to the house were not revealed to News First 5.  Police wrote in their repsonse to our open records request, "CSPD will not be releasing all of the calls for service until all matters relating to the incident on February 14, and other investigations related to that address are adjudicated."

The Valentines Day shooting is the case in which an FBI informant is accused of trying to murder 4 women and 3 children inside the home.  Arrest records claim it was a revenge shooting against a rival gang member.

One of the shooting victims is Theresa Baltazar, 18.  She was recently arrested on drug charges in a sting run by the same FBI task force for which the informant worked.

Also arrested in that same sting was Jorge Perez, 22.  Officers claim he's the ringleader in a drug trafficking gang called La Familia-Surenos.  He's the owner of the home the informant's accused of shooting up.

Neighbors claim those bizarre events are just a taste of what they've been dealing with, and they think police have been to the house many more times than 20.

"There's something else going on there," a neighbor told us, "something else is going on that they're (CSPD) not reporting on, that they're not putting in the record books right now."  Neighbors say they just want the trouble to stop.

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News First Investigates has uncovered a covert FBI operation that went so badly a confidential FBI informant's now accused of attempted murder.

The informant's accused of shooting up a house and trying to kill 2 babies, a 4 year old boy and 4 women.

Springs Police say the informant was wearing a wire during the shooting, and audio recordings show he planned and committed the violent attack during a covert FBI operation.

The victim's in the shooting showed News First Investigates the bullet holes in their living room, and how closely one bullet came to a 7 month old toddler - just a few inches.

It all happened at a home on Cucharras Street last Valentines day. At that time, and for quite a while after, the victims say didn't know suspected Robert Rodarte was working for the FBI.

"It makes me very, very, I get really angry. But what do you do?" said Diane Baltazar, the young childrens' grandmother, "There's nothing you can do, I just... I don't know."

Court records explain that Rodarte was an undercover informant for the FBI's Southern Colorado Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes officers from Colorado Springs Police.  He was wearing a wire when he and several suspected gang members met in a motel room that the task force also wired for video and live audio surveillance.

However, it appears task force members did not hear the group plan a violent attack against suspected rival gang member Jorge Perez.  Court records state, "the audio recorder did not have a headphone jack," which meant task force members could not hear anything inside the motel room.

It also appears no task force member was monitoring Rodarte during the covert operation.  No one followed him and the group to the house where Perez lived. 

Perez wasn't home, but the mother of his children and her family - 4 women and 3 children were there.

"And the guy sees me, he points the gun, he starts shooting and I go running to grab my baby and we run upstairs," Susie Baltazar, mother of a 4 year old boy and 7 month old girl she had with Perez.

Audio recordings, not released to News First 5, appear to show Rodarte knew the women and children were in the house when eight .40 calibre bullets were fired into home.  Police say the recording from the "wire" Rodarte was wearing reveals he told his friends "I shot the whole family up."

"My son doesn't like to stay home, he likes to go to his grandma's house," said Susie Baltazar, "my son's always thinking that somebody's going to come by shooting." 

Diane Baltazar says her 4 year old grandson still has nightmares about the shooting and is scared when loud cars drive by her house. She says he'll tell her, "'Grandma go to the ground! Duck!' And I'm like 'No. It's ok.. It's ok"

Even though Jorge Perez is now arrested on drug charges in a separate case and is accused of being a top tier Surenos gang member, the family denies any gang involvement.  They think whoever was in charge of the covert FBI operation thought there were gang members inside the home, and because of that, didn't care if informant Rodarte shot anyone.

"Regardless of who we are, or what we are, we're a family, people love us and we love our kids and how can they just let it happen, how do they sleep at night with that thought?" Diane Baltazar told News First 5.

Court records show defense attorneys are already accusing FBI task force members of "outrageous government conduct." Claiming, in part, "the government is complicit in numerous felony offenses in the State of Colorado, including possession of a weapon by a previous offender, possession of schedule 2 controlled substance, attempted murder."

We've been trying for several months to get police records and comments from law enforcement on this case.  Colorado Springs police told us the FBI would have to answer our questions because it's an FBI task force.

Shortly after this story was posted to newsfirst5.com an FBI spokeswoman told News First Investigates that they can't comment until the case is adjudicated.

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Two Pueblo County commissioners are giving up their taxpayer owned vehicles and will instead drive their own personal vehicles.

In our 100 hour undercover News First Investigation, we found 2 commissioners driving their government cars more often on personal business than public business.

Also among our findings - questionable accounting for those personal miles, and that it's cheaper for taxpayers if the commissioners drive their own cars.    

Commissioner John Cordova is giving up his county vehicle, and so is Commissioner Jeff Chostner, although we never received any complaints from county insiders about Chostner's use of the taxpayers' vehicle.

Commissioner Anthony Nunez hasn't decided if he'll give up the SUV that Pueblo County taxpayers own.

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A mortgage broker and her boss are facing a criminal complaint from the Attorney General's office.

 

In May of 2008 News First Investigates first uncovered the complaints against April Bigler. She works for Alternative Lending of Colorado Springs.  Her boss, James Dale, is also named in the AG's complaint, which alleges "deceptive trade practices, including misrepresenting loans’ interest rates, quoting monthly mortgage payments to consumers that did not include taxes and insurance costs, and delaying closings to pressure consumers into signing a mortgage"

Original story is here.

 

Below is the official news release from Attorney General John Suther's office

 

 

Attorney General announces lawsuit against Colorado Springs mortgage company engaged in deceptive trade practices

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that his office’s Consumer Protection Unit has filed a complaint against Alternative Lending of Colorado, a Colorado Springs-based company, and its managing general partner, James W. Dale III (DOB: 4/4/1945), and top loan originator, April A. Bigler (DOB: 10/15/1980), both of Pueblo West.

 

According to the complaint, filed in Fremont County District Court, Bigler regularly engaged in deceptive trade practices, including misrepresenting loans’ interest rates, quoting monthly mortgage payments to consumers that did not include taxes and insurance costs, and delaying closings to pressure consumers into signing a mortgage. The complaint also alleges that Bigler worked with appraisers to over-value homes, resulting in borrowers owing more on their homes than they were worth; failed to attend closings, which did not allow borrowers to ask questions about the terms of their loans; inflated borrowers’ incomes on their mortgage applications; and failed to provide timely, accurate or complete disclosures to borrowers.

 

As a result of the deceptive trade practices alleged in the complaint, nearly 44 percent of borrowers for whom Bigler originated a mortgage loan experienced some type of foreclosure action. Dale is alleged to have known about Bigler’s misconduct and not taken any disciplinary action.

 

The Office of the Attorney General began investigating Bigler and Alternative Lending of Colorado after receiving more than 15 complaints about the alleged misconduct, which took place between 2004 and 2008. The majority of the borrowers for whom Bigler originated mortgage loans live in Cañon City.

As part of its lawsuit, the Office of the Attorney General is seeking restitution for the victims of Alternative Lending’s business practices, civil penalties, disgorgement of unjust proceeds, and an injunction, barring the defendants from engaging in false and deceptive lending practices.

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The U.S. Postal Service is expected to lose $7 billion this year and is looking to save money by closing offices across the country, including here in Colorado.

In the middle their financial crisis, we got a tip that the post office is paying extra to drive a letter carrier around, because the carrier lost his license after a couple of drunk driving arrests.

We followed the carrier and found he's driven to his route, so he can walk it, but sometimes he gets driven around his route by another postal employee.

We wanted to know why he gets driven, and isn't keeping a valid driver's license an important part of the job? Neither he nor his driver would talk to us about it.

Later, Post Office Customer Relations Coordinator Ron Perry told us us it all comes down to a union contract. "We have a contractual obligation to provide them, or make every effort to provide them with productive work," he said.

We asked why not give the carrier a route that he can walk without being driven at all, or give him a job inside?

"It has to be every effort to find productive work," he said, "not bump someone else in order to, again it has to be available productive work."

Perry says over the past several months, 4 employees have driven this carrier.  2 were managers who re-adjusted their schedules; 2 others were injured and couldn't deliver mail themselves. "So, whether they were driving the employee out there, or doing some other duty the cost to us was the same."

Despite the extra efforts made to keep the carrier on the same route, such as the drivers, and sending out a truck with the rest of the mail - because it's too much for him to carrier all at once - the Post Office says it does not cost them anymore money.

Perry says out of the 743 city carriers in Colorado Springs, 3 can’t drive because of DUI's.

News First Investigates has more questions we'll ask through the Freedom of Information Act.  If you have questions, email them to jjarman@newsfirst5.com.

At this time, News First 5 has chosen not to release the name of the individual mail carrier we followed, given that he is not the only carrier in this type of situation.  To identify him and not the unknown number of others across the country who've been charged with DUI and lost their licenses, could be unfair to him.  We feel this is a system issue, not just an issue about 1 person.

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Authorities say prostitution and human trafficking continues to happen behind closed doors in El Paso County, despite efforts from the commissioners to stop it.

The problem now appears to be a state law, which doesn't allow El Paso County to do what Sheriff Terry Maketa says is needed -- licensing and regulation of massage therapists.

We've shown you prostitution is happening inside some El Paso County massage parlors. The commissioners looked into it and recently found a 1990 revised state law that doesn't allow the county to license massage therapists, but the state doesn't license them either.

"We're kind of stuck in the middle because we don't have the authority to just take care of it, we will have to go through the state of Colorado in order to find a remedy," said Commissioner Sallie Clark, who's been fighting to try to crackdown on the massage parlors where illegal activity's happening. "I think we have to find a solution no matter who provides the licensing," she said. Clark also says El Paso County can't simply outlaw the massage parlors, unless someone creates a ballot issue and the voters approve it.

"It's extremely frustrating," said Dana Allen, a licensed massage therapist and board member of the non-profit group Touching the World, which tries to help fight human trafficking and raise awareness about it.

Allen Says therapists in Colorado Springs, who are licensed through the City, plan to take their case to state lawmakers "to make sure that they know we are here and we are not happy with this situation and that we are frustrated with it," she said.

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A local human rights group is trying to gather support to help human trafficking victims in Southern Colorado.The Zonta Club of the Pikes Peak Area watched our recent News First Investigation and hopes the community is now ready to take action.

The group's local director, Betty Edwads, says what we uncovered is a dangerous problem that international Zonta groups been fighting for years. After watching our reports on prostitution and human trafficking happening in her own county, Edwards started making calls to non-profits and agencies that are trying to fight the human trafficking problem around the world. "I was cautioned that this is dangerous business," she said, "the people behind it are not it just for fun, it's for money."

But that didn't frighten the retired executive. She and her group say it's time to sound the alarm and get as many people as possible to help the victims and send a message. "So that the people who are doing it, the traffickers, are not going to want to come here -- that it's not going to te profitable for them," she said.

The Zonta Club is now trying to organize non-profits and other local agencies to combat the problem. "We've got to have help, we've got to all mobilize, we've got to do it together, it's got to be the whole community, it's got to be the people who are interested in making sure that we don't have this here," she said.

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