A 40-year-old man who stole money from families in Denver that he said he would do construction projects for was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Thursday. The sentencing followed a guilty plea by Kyle Arienta for the construction crimes as well as several other offenses, including burglaries at homes in several different Denver neighborhoods where he was caught on camera. The Denver District Attorney’s Office called him a “prolific thief” who “often preyed” on friends and acquaintances.
Arienta pleaded guilty on Thursday, right before his sentencing on charges of securities fraud, theft, burglary and violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office. He had been indicted by a grand jury 11 months ago.
Three families who were seeking the construction work were victimized by Arienta. He stole slightly more than $1 million from them, the DA’s office says. After agreeing to work with Arienta, the families said the work had hardly started before Arienta abandoned the projects.