Is Agent Ravenelle Another Schlaff Or Even Connolly?
by Charles C. Bonniwell
Just when people thought the Authentic Persian & Oriental Rug development controversy could not get any stranger, it has. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demanded that the Office of Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler dismiss all charges and quash all warrants against the phony private investigator from Tennessee, Charles Johnson “for reasons that cannot be disclosed.” (See FBI letter on page 4.)
FBI Viewing Average Citizens As Criminals
Johnson allegedly stalked, harassed and intimidated the City of Glendale City Clerk and anyone who had made comments or sent a letter to the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi or his M.A.K. Investment Group, LLC’s redevelopment of 3.8 acres of land along Colorado Boulevard. Johnson had never registered as a private investigator in Colorado nor in his home state of Tennessee. Failure to obtain a private investigator license in Colorado is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Police found on Johnson current driver’s licenses from three different states — Florida, Hawaii and Tennessee — which is a crime in many jurisdictions.
Bizarrely, after being arrested Johnson called back the arresting officers and taunted them and asserted that he was going to file a civil rights complaint with the FBI. Days later the Glendale Police Department received a call from the FBI saying that a complaint had been filed and they were immediately going to begin an investigation and not even wait to see if Johnson was, in fact, found guilty. The FBI did not say what the complaint was based on and never disputed that Johnson appeared to have engaged in criminal conduct.
Strange FBI Interviews
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Milka then starting contacting persons who filed complaints against Johnson including Glendale City Clerk Sherry Frame and Richard Witholder who wrote a letter modestly critical of Kheirkhahi’s proposed development to the Chronicle. Milka insisted that they provide an interview with the FBI. Apparently the interviews were strange affairs having nothing to do with Johnson but instead the interviewee’s opinion on whether Johnson’s arrest should have been on the front page of the Chronicle and whether the articles concerning the proposed development were fair and balanced.
Milka apparently asked Witholder, did he know who the “secret buyer” Glendale had for the M.A.K. property was, which confused Witholder since his only connection with Glendale was he wrote a letter to the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle in opposition to the proposed development.
Deputy City Manager Chuck Line was shocked to learn from the Chronicle that the FBI was spreading a false claim from the wealthy rug merchants that there was a “secret buyer” associated with Glendale for their land. “There is no secret buyer and never has been,” stated Line, and “we are no longer interested in buying their land and have told them so.”
City Clerk Sherry Frame stated in a telephone interview with Fox31 News that Special Agent Milka said that the FBI was regularly monitoring The Peter Boyles Show on 710 KNUS Radio. The Special Agent wanted to know why the show falsely claimed that Johnson had broken into Frame’s residence. Frame corrected the government agent saying she had recently listened to a podcast of the show and what was said was correct, i.e. that Johnson had repeatedly attempted to gain entry into the apartment complex where she lived by incessantly ringing her apartment complex number that transferred to her cell phone.
Legal experts indicate that both Frame and Witholder were both potential key witnesses in the Arapahoe County case, and if anyone else had engaged in the conduct of Special Agent Milka, that such person would likely be charged with obstruction of justice and witness tampering by the D.A.
District Attorney Brauchler Praised
Civil libertarians have praised Brauchler for demanding that the FBI produce a letter from the Denver Special Agent in Charge, Thomas P. Ravenelle, and attach the letter to the Motion to Dismiss to the court which made it public record. A district attorney has almost total discretion in such matters and could have hidden the FBI’s invo
lvement in the matter.
More concerning to some is the fact that apparent FBI informant Charles Johnson and FBI Special Agent Milka were clearly violating the 1st Amendment rights of the citizens like Witholder who simply wrote letters to a newspaper on a matter of public concern. Some of the victims of the FBI’s actions have wondered when it is the FBI violating your rights, who do you get to complain to?
Free To Kill
For experienced Cherry Creek Valley hands the case seemed to have echoes of the Scott Lee Kimball debacle of seven years ago involving the Denver FBI which effectively destroyed its reputation locally. While the Chronicle wrote extensively on the case, perhaps the best full summarization of the case is located on the Boulder Daily Camera website under the title “Scott Lee Kimball — Free to Kill.”
In December 2002 Kimball was released from jail for various crimes, including forgery, to be an active informant on a drug bust. Instead he went on a four year killing spree murdering at least four women and his uncle with the active assistance or criminal negligence of FBI Special Agent Carle Schlaff.
Kimball was only caught due to the incredible persistence of family members of the women probably tortured and murdered by Kimball and the work of Lafayette Police Officer Gary Thatcher.
“The Cleaner”
Schlaff was replaced on the case by Jonathan Grusing when it became clear that local law enforcement was on to the fact that Kimball was murdering people with the aid and assistance of the FBI. Most of the victims’ families viewed Grusing
Jonathan Grusing, a special agent with the FBI, poses at the Safe Streets Task Force office in Denver. Photo by Marty Caivano/Camera/Feb. 19, 2010
as a hero, at least as compared to Schlaff, but others dubbed him “The Cleaner” after the Harvey Keitel character in the movie Pulp Fiction. The Cleaner in the movie was sent in to erase all indicia of the crimes and any connection to the Mob. Some viewed Grusing in a similar manner, erasing all evidence of FBI crimes as related to the murders by Scott Lee Kimball.
If that was the role of Grusing, he was very successful as no actions were brought against any person in the Denver FBI office for the murders, unlike the case in Boston where the Whitey Bulger murders resulted in FBI agent John Connolly being sent to prison for 40 years.
Incredibly, Special Agent Grusing is apparently also involved in the Glendale matter with knowledgeable individuals saying that Grusing and Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi are “thick as thieves” and are in regular contact with each other.
The Ribeau Analysis
Some have surmised that Kheirkhahi may be a federal confidential informant himself against the Islamic Republic of Iran where he often travels and has extensive business contacts. In addition, Mike Ribeau, a former Homeland Security agent who heads up ISL Consultants and was at one time embedded with the FBI, believes that the FBI is engaged in a bigger investigation, and that the Johnson affair is causing problems. He surmises that the FBI is attempting to claim that Glendale officials, by not automatically approving the vague and inchoate development suggestions of Kheirkhahi, are violating the civil rights of the rug merchants.
He points to the Obama Administration’s recent effort to override local zoning laws in suburban communities to provide a massive influx of low income individuals and foreign born immigrants. The mere fact that Glendale residents and neighborhood groups throughout Denver are opposed to the massive condo project on Colorado Boulevard is perhaps, for the FBI, proof positive that Glendale officials are engaging in criminal Islamophobia notwithstanding the fact that opposition has nothing to do with religion.
Other experts consulted by the Chronicle found Ribeau’s analysis “highly plausible.” If the Ribeau analysis is correct, then Glendale and surrounding Denver neighborhoods are in for a long, hot summer with the incredibly wealthy rug merchants with potentially unlimited funds coming in from Iran and their expensive, high-powered law firms teaming up with the power of the U.S. federal government to quash any and all local opposition to anything that Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi wishes to impose directly or indirectly. For some, it could be a scary time to be a resident of the Cherry Creek Valley where the normal rights of American citizens may potentially no longer be of very much importance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
It was the moment that neighborhood groups and families feared might never occur, but it did in open court on April 22, 2016. Greg Kerwin, the attorney for seven everyday citizens opposing the rezoning of the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church property in Crestmoor Park, read out loud secret email after secret email of City Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman proving that the rezoning of the property had been rigged as had always been surmised by the citizens.
Kerwin, as part of the discovery process, had demanded all emails of Susman related to the Mount Gilead rezoning, but the City and County of Denver did not provide certain emails that Kerwin knew existed. He then demanded the emails from her secret, off record gmail account be provided. The City Attorney having been accused of engaging in open record fraud in other cases finally complied and voila, there was a treasure trove of evidence of the corruption of the zoning process.
Kerwin pointed Judge Gilman to an amazing email dated March 20, 2015, from Sean Maley of the powerful lobbying firm CRL Associates, Inc. (CRL). CRL had made major monetary contributions to Susman’s re-election campaign even though she had no opponent. In the email Maley instructed Councilwoman Susman exactly what to say at an upcoming City Council meeting. Apparently, the developer, Metropolitan Homes, did not have the votes or support necessary to carry the day regarding the Mt. Gilead rezoning and therefore wanted a delay. Maley appeared to be telling the councilwoman to lie to the public, declaring she should say that the hearing “will be continued to a later date . . . [to allow the developer] to sort out the modifications to their plan and to better understand the process and timing.”
Susman meekly replied to the email back eight minutes later, “Okay. You don’t want me to say anything like ‘changes in response to community feedback?”
To the shock and amazement of the crowd of families and supporters of Crestmoor Park in the courtroom, Denver District Court Judge Shelley I. Gilman appeared to luxuriate and wallow with glee in the utter corruption of the rezoning process in Denver, totally dismissing the clear evidence of the rigging.
Next Kerwin brought to the attention of the court the incredible fact that Denver literally refused to consider the parking and traffic/transportation impacts in the rezoning as a matter of city policy and that fact was so stated by one of the council members at the meeting. Deputy City Attorney Lucero conceded that what Kerwin had stated was absolutely true.
Judge Gilman then refused to allow the concession and ordered the Deputy City Attorney to argue that the fact that the citizens voiced disbelief at the city’s refusal to consider these issues somehow constituted the Denver City Council hearing the issues.
One attendee noted, “She literally was acting as the Deputy City Attorney in charge of the case. She should have simply left the bench, gone to the defense table and had a soliloquy with herself.”
Kerwin then pointed out to the Court that Planning Board Member Jim Bershof actually signed the rezoning application himself for the Mt. Gilead property and argued to his fellow Board members that they approve the rezoning. Once again, to the dismay of the courtroom attendees, Judge Gilman had no problem with this clearly unethical conduct, indicating as long as the person doesn’t vote nothing else matters no matter how outrageous.
An observer of the planning process noted that her opinion is great news for 11 members of the Planning Board all of whom were appointed by Mayor Hancock and includes numerous developers. The observer pointed out that if you want to get your project through Denver Planning you hire one or more of the Planning Board members to sign the application and argue in front of staff and the remaining members for its approval. The Planning Board members just need to take turns getting paid from developers and they should all become very rich in a relatively short period. If Judge Gilman’s ruling is upheld in the appellate process developers can simply hire the mayor or council members in a town to argue for approval of their project as long as they do not vote in the end.
Virtually every argument made for the citizens by Kerwin was denigrated by Judge Gilman. Conversely she appeared to smile and nod in approval regarding every argument made by the Deputy City Attorney only interrupting him to provide her own defenses when he did not make a defense.
In theory a judge is supposed to act in a neutral manner in the open courtroom, treating both sides equally so as to at least give the façade of impartiality. In the 2012 report by the Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation which recommended she be retained, it declared that she had received high marks for “treating all parties equally” and “conducts an efficient and neutral courtroom.” For anyone attending the hearing either the report was simply another judicial whitewash or her judicial demeanor has suffered a precipitous demise over the last four years.
A highly disappointed neighborhood advocate declared “our seven neighborhood plaintiffs might as well have been the Scottsboro Boys in front of the infamous Judge William Washington Callahan down in Alabama in the 1930s. We knew they were dead from the first few minutes of the hearing.”
When the Court’s decision came down on May 17 absolutely no one was surprised by Judge Gilman finding for the city in each and every argument with never a single indication of hesitancy or even legal nuance.
In a telephone interview with Councilwoman Susman following the issuance of Judge Gilman’s ruling, she stated regarding the secret email account, that “she gets emails from all avenues including social media — Facebook and Twitter.” She did not recall the March 20 email from Sean Maley but that she would have been “just receiving information.” Councilwoman Susman indicated she was pleased that “the judge ruled that I was impartial in my dealings with both sides.”
One attendee at the hearing could not understand why Judge Gilman had bothered to have a hearing. “She absolutely knew how she was going to rule before she walked into that courtroom and did not bother to listen to anything the plaintiffs had to say. Perhaps she wanted to embarrass the neighborhood groups by showing them that the courts are also a farce in the City and County of Denver. If that was her goal she succeeded. I will never again believe in our legal system after the display she put on at
that hearing.”
For the neighborhood groups, Judge Gilman’s behavior was all the more dismaying due to the fact they will perhaps never have such clear and convincing proof of corruption and rigging of the process. Attorney Kerwin noted that city councilpersons will never again use secret emails that might be discovered. Instead all the rigging will be done verbally.
The plaintiffs, pursuant to Colorado Appellate Rule 50, will ask the Colorado Supreme Court to hear an expedited appeal on the matter because important, statewide precedents were established. However, for many of the citizens who attended Judge Gilman’s hearing, any faith in the legal system as a fair and impartial arbiter of cases brought before it has effectively been destroyed by her conduct on the 22nd of April 2016.
Glendale Chamber Formally Condemns Kheirkhahi And Authentic Persian Rugs
Wealthy Rug Merchants Turn On Dana Crawford
by Mark Smiley
The new Glendale City Council at its first regular meeting was met with an incredible outpouring of community opposition, from Glendale, Denver and even suburban towns, to Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his M.A.K. Investment Group, LLC’s massive proposed condominium high-rise known locally as the Tehranian Death Star along Colorado Boulevard.
Chamber Resolution
The Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce announced that a formal resolution unanimously passed (with one abstention) opposing “the efforts of M.A.K. to impose residential units in the Glendale entertainment district in conflict with the city’s zoning and Master Plan.” The resolution went on to “repudiate and denounce the efforts of M.A.K. and its principal Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi to intimidate Council members and Glendale’s minority community by utilizing para military hate groups such as the Oath Keepers as well as attempting to graymail the Council with negative publicity concerning the city and its residents.” For the complete resolution please see page 24.
Denver Neighborhoods And Tower Of Doom
President of the Chamber Barret O’Brien stated that the “business community is simply sick and tired of how Kheirkhahi and his family are attempting to destroy the city’s entertainment district for their own greed. They have personally offended just about everybody in town. They apparently believe that if they are vicious enough and trash the town enough they can get what they want. It is time for local businesses to stand with unintimidated residents and take on these bullies.”
Among those addressing the City Council was the President of the Virginia Vale Community Association Paul Aceto who spoke of concerns of traffic that the Death Star would inevitably occasion. A letter from Jeff Mauck as President of the Belcaro Park Homeowners Association was read opposing the Death Star project indicating it would be a disaster for southeast Denver. Bonnie Brae area resident Linda Young noted her strong opposition to the project as a traffic nightmare for the area.
Former Glendale City Councilman Dan Van Winkle helped lead a group of Glendale residents to address the Council in opposition to what they called the “Tower of Doom” in reference to the Lord of the Rings books and movies. He noted a variance is a little less green space or a couple less parking places and not a wholesale destruction of the city zoning codes and Master Plan as proposed by M.A.K.
Key Speech
In perhaps the most rousing speech of the night, Kristina Beacom from the Phenix Infinity Park residential complex in Glendale, declared:
“The wealthy rug shop owners have attempted to play a very devious and shameful game in the court of public opinion. The transcript of their most recent meeting has exposed them for what they are — shamelessly opportunistic in every way. I urge the Mayor and council to continue the good fight against some very bad people!”
Her remarks were met with warm approval from almost everyone in the crowded City Council Chambers
Wealthy Rug Merchants Respond
Even though Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi attended the City Council meeting, he spoke through front women Nasrin Kholghy, his sister-in-law, and Jeanne Price. Kholghy appeared to repudiate and disclaim developer Dana Crawford who she said was the person who called the pre-site meeting and Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs could not be held responsible for anything she might have said.
Deputy City Manager Chuck Line later indicated such a disclaimer was preposterous as Kheirkhahi and Kholghy were an integral part of the meeting and the city does not meet with anyone concerning land development unless they are talking on behalf of and for the landowners.
Kholghy then purported that the wealthy rug merchants had never said they wanted a 60-story building and that they showed pictures of 50- to 60-story buildings in places like Austin, Texas, simply because they were residential towers on a river near entertainment districts. Chuck Line later remarked that the recorded tape of the “pre-site plan meeting” made such an assertion simply not credible. Kholghy then argued to the incredulous crowd that a condominium tower would not, in fact, increase traffic.
In addition Kholghy berated Deputy City Manager Linda Cassaday who could not help shaking her head at some of the more outlandish statements from Kholghy, including her claiming money for the land was not important, but she simply wanted what was “best for the land.” Kholghy also asserted that because of the long tenure of Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs on Colorado Boulevard she knew what was best for Glendale.
Former Councilman Dan Van Winkle indicated that, “In my opinion Ms. Kholghy appears to be willing to fabricate, even when the truth will do.”
Phony P.I.
A fraudulent, unlicensed private investigator, Charles Johnson, who was alleged to have flown in from Tennessee to stalk and harass anyone who was quoted in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle opposing Kheirkhahi and his Death Star plans, is scheduled to appear for his arraignment in Arapahoe County Court on May 12, 2016, at 8:30 a.m.
The question that remains outstanding is who he was purporting to be investigating on behalf of in his activities. To date, he has steadfastly refused to reveal who employed him other than it was a female writer and at other times a female journalist. Jeanne Price, who is a female writer and has been a female journalist and is believed to be employed by Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi, told the City Council she did not employ Johnson and does not know Johnson.
President Larry Ambrose Replaced By J.J. Niemann In 45 To 42 Vote
by Glen Richardson
The Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (“INC”) is the umbrella group of all the registered neighborhood associations and others. It has been one of the few official outlets for neighborhood groups unhappy with the high density developments overtaking Denver.
The Annual Delegate Meeting was held on March 12, 2016. Neighborhood activist Dave Felice described the meeting as “a coup d’état by interests aligned with Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s agenda to develop and increase density at all costs.” Neighborhood champion Larry Ambrose, a law graduate and Metro State teacher was replaced as President with J.J. Niemann, whose job experience is apparently limited to modifying skateboards. He had been a loud supporter of the zoo gasification plant until that plan was terminated by the Zoo Board, much to the embarrassment of Niemann and similar supporters.
The seizure of control of INC was greatly facilitated by the sudden registration of various Business Improvement Districts as voting members of INC which allowed the developers to win the close vote.
Ambrose had been a thorn in the side of Mayor Hancock for years and was even the recipient of the largest number of write-in votes in last spring’s election in the history of the city notwithstanding the fact that Ambrose did not campaign or seek out votes. Felice indicated that “Ambrose irritated City Hall because he speaks truth to power . . . and [is a] tireless advocate for the well-being of Denver residents and the neighborhoods.”
The overthrow of Ambrose was orchestrated according to insiders by a troika of developer and mayor supporters — Joel Noble, a Denver Planning Board member; Andrew Sense, an ally of Denver City Councilman Albus Brooks; and Michael Henry, the only paid employee of Denver Board of Ethics. Niemann himself is considered by many to be an intellectually challenged front person for more powerful interests.
The Denver Planning Board is wholly appointed by the Denver Mayor. Under the leadership of Executive Director Brad Buchanan the Board and the Denver Planning Commission itself are considered by some as ethically suspect and little more than bureaucratic allies for the Mayor’s favored developers.
Noble is considered a leading apologist for the Denver Planning Board’s conduct, writing, for example, a guest editorial in The Denver Post on March 28, 2015. In the article he defended the appointment by Hancock real estate developers on a purportedly civilian Planning Board claiming the Board needed “diverse perspectives.” He was also appointed by the Mayor as the spokesperson for “Vision Zero Coalition” regarding traffic deaths. Noble is also the President of Curtis Park Neighbors considered by some as little more than a developer front group.
When Anna Jones ran with heavy developer and lobbyist support against Wayne New in District 10 (Cherry Creek) for Denver City Council many voters stated that her serving on the Denver Planning Board effectively disqualified her from ever holding public office.
Michael Henry is the only paid city employee of the Denver Ethics Board which has come under heavy criticism for virtually never finding an ethics violation regarding anyone in the Hancock administration. Political consultant Ellie Reynolds said of the Ethics Board that “it’s an Orwellian named entity whose principal purpose appears to excuse and validate the most unethical conduct imaginable.” Ethics Board members assert that their hands are tied by a weak and ineffective Ethics Code which city officials have no intention of ever substantively changing.
Henry effectively ran INC prior to Ambrose being elected in 2011. Ambrose took what was a somewhat somnolent organization and transformed it into a strong voice for neighborhoods. Henry was forced out when complaints began to arise noting his conflict of interest being a city employee controlling what was supposed to a neighborhood organization. Many expect Henry will now resume, at least in part, his influence over INC.
The last of the troika is Andy Sense, a somewhat shadowy figure. He has described himself as “President of the City Council District 9 Office” although no such position appears to exist, at least according to Councilman Brook’s office. The councilman is a close ally of Mayor Hancock and Brooks is believed to want to succeed Hancock as Mayor of Denver. In 2014, Brooks, apparently believing that existing neighborhood groups in his District were not sufficiently pro Hancock, he formed his own City Park Neighborhood Advisory Committee to which Sense was appointed.
When local neighborhood groups began opposition to the City Park gasification project, Sense, like Niemann, became a leading critic of the residents. In a letter to the Chronicle published in January of this year he called the opponents “extremists” and “un-neighborly” and said that INC under Ambrose was spreading “divisiveness” with “extreme resolutions.”
Sense, Niemann and other advocates for the gasification plant (including The Denver Post) were embarrassed when the Zoo essentially acknowledged the critiques of the opponents by cancelling the plans for the plant adjoining City Park.
After the takeover INC passed a series of innocuous resolutions including one concerning the highly controversial Platte to Park Hill Stormwater Project saying the city’s decision should be based “on full study and meaningful neighborhood involvement.” The weak resolution was quickly ignored by the City.
The ouster of Ambrose and the pro-neighborhood advocates reminded many of Hancock orchestrating the removal of all the members of the Denver Parks Advisory Board who opposed his Hentzell Park open space giveaway. They were replaced by developer lobbyists including Marcus Pachner or longtime supporters of the Mayor such as “Happy”” Haynes’ sister, Khadija Haynes.
As for the future for INC many neighborhood groups and advocates are not sanguine. “All that will happen now is that INC will hold a worthless awards dinner and send out pro Administration propaganda pre-approved by the Mayor and his developer friends,” stated political consultant Ellie Reynolds.
As for Larry Ambrose he plans to take the Colorado Bar this summer and continue the fight for Denver neighborhoods even if INC is now little more than an adjunct of the Hancock administration. He plans to stay actively involved in the controversial Platte to Park Hill Stormwater Project by “keeping them honest, or more accurately, making them honest.”
Dave Felice notes that while some question whether INC will have any remaining relevance now that it is under Hancock’s control, the committees on Zoning and Parks retain strong neighborhood advocates.
Ambrose also thinks Niemann and the power brokers behind him like Noble will find that shoving all the neighborhood outrage back in the bottle will not be easy. “Not all of the delegates of INC will go quietly into the night. There are some real advocates for the neighborhoods who will be challenging for Noble and his buddies to try to shut up.”
Many citizens are actively beginning to advocate Ambrose to run for the Mayor’s office and he has not ruled out the possibility. He knows it will take money and the lobbyists like CRL Associates and Brownstein, Farber will dump huge sums into Hancock’s coffers. But the run of Bernie Sanders and his amazing success in raising money with small donations is encouraging to Ambrose. “You never know what the future may bring,” stated Ambrose.
CLICK HEREfor the entire raw, unedited and unaltered transcript and audio recording of the incredible Tehranian Death Star meeting with the wealthy Persian rug merchants Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and Nasrin Kholghy, and their high-powered consultants Dana Crawford, David Tryba, Chris Shears and Bill James, seeking to pressure Glendale officials — Police Captain Mike Gross and Deputy City Managers Chuck Line and Linda Cassaday — into tentatively approving a massive 50- to 60-story condo high-rise on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek.
Listen for yourself to the so-called “historic preservationist” Dana Crawford declaring that citizens in Denver were “hysterical about blocking their views” as well as offering “special sugar” for approval of the massive project. Hear famed architect David Tryba demand that Glendale be “more encouraging [about] more verticality” and RTD Director Bill James asserting that because Glendale is a separate jurisdiction surrounded by Denver it would be “easier to get away with” this type of massive high-rise.
Experts are calling the recording and transcript “unprecedented” and “extraordinary” and “a must hear and read” for any citizen in the Denver/Glendale area concerned about how developers and their consultants try to, and usually succeed, in running roughshod over zoning and Master Plans put in place by citizens.
The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle has been inundated with e-mails, letters and correspondence concerning its March story “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed.” To be able to print more of the correspondence the Chronicle has elected to devote its entire editorial page to “We Get Letters . . . .”
I must congratulate the Chronicle. Over a year ago you indicated that the real goal of the wealthy rug merchants at Authentic Persian & Oriental Rugs was to build a massive high-rise on the 3.5 acres of land they own off Colorado Boulevard. They constantly denied the same to the public and then you capture them on tape doing exactly that. Amazing. Kheirkhahi and his sister-in-law as well as their high priced consultants certainly know how run into a doorknob at full speed.
S. Johnson
Denver, CO
Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his sister-in-law Nasrin Kholghy are not nice people and I should know, I was one of their stalking targets in Glendale.
Douglas Stiff
Glendale, CO
I can’t tell you the outpouring of support I have gotten throughout Cherry Creek Valley for publically standing up to Kheirkhahi and against his proposed massive condo project. I want to thank the Chronicle for being the one publication in the Denver area that is never afraid to print the truth. Keep up the good fight
R. Wayne King
Glendale, CO
I am not a big fan of the Rug Merchants, but I support the idea of having a high-rise condo in Glendale and I think it could be a very successful development. Nobody is building condos these days and the city is saturated with rental properties. I’d be very interested in buying in a high-rise, providing it is a modern design with floor to ceiling windows and doesn’t have Tehran in its name.
Sasha Veysbeyn
Denver, CO
Thank you for continuing to update the Glendale public on the transformation of this situation. I want to thank the City Officials of Glendale for staying strong to protect the zoning codes and the city as it currently stands. I want the city of Glendale to know that we support you and do not want a building such as this in our neighborhood.
Laura Haas
Denver, CO
I have always had such admiration for Dana Crawford but it is easy to see the dollar signs in her eyes with this one. Since I don’t, I can easily see what a hideous monstrosity this would be, not to mention the nightmare it would create for people commuting. I hope the lawsuit ties this up for years. Who says we have to aspire to be like New York or Tehran… I think all of us who live here prefer a relatively unfettered view of our beautiful mountains. Stay strong, Glendale. Don’t let these people bully you into a disaster (and an ugly one at that).
Julie [last name not provided]
Denver, CO
Given the traffic congestion on Colorado Blvd., they should design a heliport on the top of this tower so that residents can access their condos.
Will Cameron
Denver, CO
Here’s to hoping that Death Star never gets started. The land and look and feel of Glendale just doesn’t lend itself to skyscrapers. Case in point, the perpetually abandoned looking, relic Lowes building. The biggest thing in Glendale that no one ever wants to even look at. That’s how out of place that monstrosity seems. So no, we don’t need a circa 1980’s Diehard movie, Nakatomi Plaza smack dab in the middle of what could be a a very nice, river-walk style, pedestrian, open retail area.
Jose Rosario
Denver, CO
You are the biggest racist I have ever seen. You Make Donald Trump look like Mother Teresa.
Whether the rug people are bad or not is not the issue. but your constant degradation of Iranians and Muslims is ridiculous. I hope the FBI has you on a watch list dude you are dangerous.
Donnie Smith
Denver, CO
I am so grateful to the Glendale city officials who have blocked the progress of M.A.K. development and the Kheirkhahi family with their monstrosity residential idea. I hope this blockage is forever. How unfair of them to corral the hi-falutin’ Denver city celebrities and power brokers to push their idea of a 56-story nightmare onto Glendale’s Colorado Boulevard profile. Also how unfair of them to request an exception to the city plan, rather than be good citizens and follow the plan. I held my breath until the final sentences of last month’s article. I shop in Glendale and Belcaro, eat at City Set, and use the Post Office and feel it’s my neighborhood still, even though I’ve moved to Windsor Gardens. I have sorely regretted the development that has already taken place in Glendale that has caused the lines of traffic on S. Cherry Creek Blvd. and increased traffic on Leetsdale and Colorado Blvd. South Cherry Creek Blvd. used to be an unknown, lightly-used and quick route down to Holly and Monaco and Quebec streets — a back way to go south. Now it’s stop-and-go most times of the day. And it is often hard to find parking at City Set where popular local restaurants are located. Glendale used to be a place where people could rent for less expense. More luxury condominiums are not what Denver needs. More low and middle income rentals are what is needed. Just what point are the Kheirkhahis trying to make with this monstrosity?
Colleen Nunn
Denver, CO
I was particularly surprised and dismayed to hear Crawford’s statement that “If we want to double Denver metropolitan population we’re going to have to get over our hysteria about high-rise buildings because Denver just, you know, the neighborhoods just get bonkers over the subject.” For one, who wants Denver’s population to double? Certainly not current residents! Denver is already plagued with heavy traffic, especially along Colorado Boulevard. Denver residents are proud to live in Denver and are grateful for this beautiful city — of course we don’t want to destroy it by over-populating it! For another, if the neighborhoods “get bonkers” over something, it is because it is an important topic and there are strong and majority opinions about it — someone truly looking out for the benefit of the city and its residents would not belittle or ignore those opinions.
I applaud and thank the City representatives for standing their ground and not being unduly influenced by a wealthy minority.
In perhaps a new low, a fake, unlicensed private investigator, Charles Johnson, was flown in from Nashville, Tennessee, to go to the homes and businesses of citizens of Glendale, Denver and Lakewood, who had all made remarks quoted in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle that might be deemed critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi, the principal owner of the Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs store and his proposed massive 50- to 60-story high rise condo project on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek (See Chronicle, March 2016, “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed”).
Harassment And Stalking
Various citizens from Glendale, Denver and Lakewood called the police complaining about the ongoing harassment and stalking from Johnson. He apparently is not licensed either in Colorado or Tennessee to conduct private investigations. Johnson even went to the private residence of Glendale City Clerk Sherry Frame and tried to obtain access into her complex.
Johnson Arrested
Johnson was arrested at 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Advantage Rent-A-Car trying to flee back to Nashville via an early morning plane flight. According to the police report obtained by the Chronicle through an open records request, Johnson stated “he was ‘hired’ by a female writer in Denver Colorado to conduct interviews with people who recently provided interviews to the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle regarding Glendale 180 . . . .” and later stated he was under contract with an “individual female writer/ journalist in the local area.” Johnson repeatedly refused to say who the individual was who hired him saying “she may want to get an attorney” and he had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the woman.
To some, the description appeared to perfectly fit Jeanne Price (see Chronicle, Feb. 2016, page 1, “Persian Rug merchants have Denverite Jeanne Price Digging Hard for Dirt”), who at different times has described herself as a reporter, writer, freelance columnist and senior researcher.
Calls by the Chronicle to Ms. Price inquiring whether she had contracted with or knew Charles Johnson were not returned. Price sits next to Kheirkhahi at Glendale City Council meetings and is believed to be employed by Kheirkhahi or his affiliated entities. Calls to Kheirkhahi from the Chronicle were also not returned. Legal experts indicate that individuals who knowingly contract with another to break the law may in some instances be charged themselves.
Scare Citizens
If the purpose of Johnson’s trip was to scare and intimidate citizens critical of the Persian rug merchants from talking with the media and in particular the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, he was successful at least partially.
Trish Abbott had published in the Chronicle a communication critical of the Kholghys (the in-laws of Kheirkhahi) in the December 2015 “We Get Letters . . .” He attempted to harass her at her former address and at her current one although she repeatedly told him she did not want to speak with him.
Abbott filed a harassment complaint against Johnson with the Glendale Police. The police report indicates that Abbott was clearly concerned that someone could find her address and track her down simply because of what she had said in a newspaper article. Abbott told the police “she would never make a statement or go on record for a paper again.”
Johnson asserted to the police that he tried to access the City Clerk’s complex because he did not want to meet with her in her office at City Hall. According to the police report, he indicated that “in his experience when he wants to talk with people they usually do not like to do so at their place of employment.”
Harassed At Work
That concept apparently did not apply to Richard Witholder who works in Lakewood. In a statement filed in Glendale and to be filed with the Lakewood police, Johnson showed up at Witholder’s place of employment in Lakewood, where he is the manager of a restaurant. An employee told him that a male was in the restaurant demanding to speak to “Richard.” When Witholder came out he declared that “I’m investigating your quotes you made in the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle” and insisted that Witholder sit down for an interview. When Witholder repeatedly refused he handed him his card and told him to call him.
Witholder immediately contacted the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle which indicated he should contact the police if he felt threatened. Witholder then contacted the Glendale police and arranged for a meeting with Johnson at the Starbucks in Glendale where Witholder hoped the threatening Johnson would be arrested.
At the same time Johnson had been harassing Glendale resident Douglas Stiff about his quotes. Stiff also contacted the Glendale police and immediately arranged to meet with Johnson at Carve Restaurant in Glendale. Because of statements made at the meeting with Stiff, the Glendale Police were able to determine whether Johnson was acting in the capacity of a private investigator in violation of Colorado law. Johnson never showed up for the meeting with Witholder.
Johnson was later arrested for acting as a private investigator in Colorado without a license in violation of C.R.S. Sec. 12-58.5-101. If convicted he is subject to being incarcerated for up to one year and/or up to a $1,000 fine. Witholder hopes that Lakewood will also file charges against Johnson when he returns to Colorado.
According the police report Johnson was carrying active drivers licenses from three different states — Hawaii, Florida and Tennessee. Most states make it a crime to possess more than one driver’s license at the same time. See Cal. V.C. Section 12511. It is not known whether Johnson when he returns to Colorado to face charges on not possessing a private investigators license whether he will also face charges of possessing drivers licenses from multiple states.
Giving False Information
The somewhat crude business cards handed out by Johnson in Colorado were printed at a angle and with an address of 3200 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 without a suite number. That address is a large office building at which he is not listed. He provided his home address to the Glendale Police as 2479 Murfreesboro Road, 222 Nashville, Tennessee 37217 which the Chronicle determined to be a UPS store.
The office phone listed on his card appears to be simply part of a general voicemail system. The cell phone number listed on the card may be to a so called “burner phone.” A burner phone is a prepaid device used specially for one purpose and then disposed. Burner phones are used for various purposes including by persons engaged in potentially illegal activities who do not want their phone to be traced back to them. The Chronicle called both numbers and left messages asking Johnson to call back. Both phone numbers went automatically into voice mail. The Chronicle did not receive any return calls from Johnson.
Unbowed And Unafraid
But if Johnson and his yet to be named employers here in Colorado were hoping to cower all citizens critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his affiliated entities they were unsuccessful. As noted above, Johnson tried to contact Douglas Stiff who both lives and works in Glendale. When Johnson harassed him in both locations Stiff not only contacted the Glendale Police but assisted with a face to face meeting which helped confirm to the Glendale Police that Johnson was engaged in illegal activities.
But more than that, Stiff was incensed by the actions of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi. “To get a massive high rise condo building in violation of Glendale’s zoning laws and Master Plan Mohammad forced our African American citizens who wanted to attend a City Council meeting to run a gauntlet set up by a racist para military unit of the Oath Keepers outside the door to City Hall,” said Stiff. “To intimidate the Hispanics in our community he brought in anti-immigration zealot Tom Tancredo wearing a Border Patrol hat. Now to silence Mohammad’s critics quoted in the Chronicle, someone hired an illegal private investigator who harasses me and others. If Mohammad and Jeanne Price are behind Johnson I hope they are fully prosecuted along with Johnson.”
But Stiff does not intend to be passive. “I am going to apply to be on the Planning Commission to be a voice in our community for upholding our zoning and Master Plan so that we don’t get projects like the Tehranian Death Star approved.” Stiff noted, “I know Mohammad’s sister-in-law [Nasrin Kholghy] objects to the mention of “Tehran” and cried on cue for Channel 7 in reference to her home city.”
Stiff pointed out that, “Mohammad’s agents tell the city staff at an openly recorded meeting they want a high rise condo project like those in Tehran and other cities, but after that nobody else is allowed to mention Tehran because to do so is racist or xenophobic or Islamophobic or everything else phobic. These people in my opinion are evil, despicable thugs and I doubt anyone from Hilltop or anywhere else would want to go to the Persian and Oriental Rug store if they found out what these individuals actually do to people and what they plan to do to our community.”
Stiff also indicated that he and some of his friends are considering picketing in front of the store to let people know who they are potentially dealing with and what they in fact want to build on Colorado Boulevard by Cherry Creek.
At the time of press, nobody from the Kheirkhahi team had responded to our inquiries for comment. After The Chronicle had gone to press, Ms. Jeanne Price and Ms. Nasrin Kholghy submitted separate letters denying that anyone from their team had hired Mr. Johnson. Their letters in their entirety are below:
Let us be clear: Our team has not now, nor at any point in the past, hired Charles Johnson as the newspaper irresponsibly hints. We have no need for such tactics and we have always been open about our position.
We also do not have any plans for a 60-story building. We also have nothing to do with this most recent allegation, which seems to be just the latest in a long line of attempts to disparage us, incite fear, inflame bigotry and racism, discourage our customers and try to run us out of business. As these wild accusations and misleading stories continue, our suspicions are growing stronger that this has indeed been the City’s plan for a long time.
Nasrin Kholghy
Let me state emphatically that I DID NOT hire an investigator nor do I need help from an investigator with my research. I have been seeking PUBLIC records from the City of Glendale and evidently that makes someone very uncomfortable at City Hall and/or at this publication. My efforts have been met with a great deal of resistance and now inflated charges for simple requests.
Apparently, this is why I’m being attacked a second time by Mr. Smiley. I’m not sure who is pulling his strings but this is not reporting in any sense of the word. It’s harassment, disparagement and intimidation from a so-called newspaper but sadly, it’s all we have come to expect from this publication.
sition has nothing to do with religion.
