
Aurora moving company customers vent as owner faces charges
Alleged victims recount how they said David Zoda deceived them, collected thousands of dollars in moving charges, then allegedly dumped their belongings in storage lockers in Aurora.
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Brian Maass has spearheaded CBS News Colorado's investigative unit for more than two decades. In that time, his investigations have held the powerful accountable, given voice to the voiceless and made a real difference in the lives of Coloradans.
His 2007 undercover investigation of deficient de-icing practices at Denver International Airport prompted re-training of hundreds of workers, firings, suspensions and multi-pronged federal and local investigations. Those reports received the Regional Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting in 2008.
His 2002 investigation exposing loafing cops at Denver International Airport led to retirements, dozens of reassignments and a heightened awareness of airport security.
Maass' exclusive 2004 interview with Army Pfc. Lynndie England made worldwide headlines as the woman at the center of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal told her story for the first time. The interview was honored with an Emmy award, as was his investigation into Denver cops double dipping and ignoring their primary jobs. He found top Denver police administrators working secondary jobs as school crossing guards when they were supposed to be overseeing murder, rape and kidnapping investigations. The reports led to a criminal investigation and sweeping changes within the Denver Police Department.
In 1999, Maass uncovered and exposed the story of how a Denver Police SWAT team broke into the wrong house and killed Ismael Mena, who never should have been in the line of fire. The investigation resulted in a perjury charge against one Denver patrolman and broad reforms in the way "no knock" search warrants are processed.
In 2019, the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences inducted Maass into the "Silver Circle," a recognition of more than 25 years of journalism service.
Maass has won multiple Emmy awards, multiple "Best of The West" awards, the Regional Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting three years in a row, numerous Colorado Broadcast Association awards and a slew of other regional, state and local honors for his bold investigative reporting.
Just The Facts
Position: Your Investigator
Most memorable interview: Pfc. Lynndie England of Abu Ghraib notoriety
Role model: Garrick Utley, Bob Dotson
Dream Job: Forsberg to Sakic to Maass to knock off the Red Wings in 7
Job you would never attempt: sword swallowing
Alma mater: University of Colorado Boulder
Star sign: Gemini
Year hired: 1983
First TV Appearance: On a cold, icy live shot somewhere around Denver
Favorite story: Any that helped people make informed decisions
Why I'm a journalist: Love telling people something they don't know that is relevant to their lives
Hidden talent: Juggling
Hometown: by birth, Los Angeles. Since 1976, Colorado
Number of children: Two sons
Hobbies: skiing, hockey, running, cycling- anything outdoors
Favorite food: pizza, BBQ, carbs, sushi, stir fry, mexican, brownies --is that enough?
Favorite Musicians: Gruppo Sportivo, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Jimmy Cliff, John Prine
Number of siblings: Five
Number of pets: 1
Favorite sports team: Avalanche
Favorite vacation spot: Kauai, any beach, the desert or a mountain resort What one word describes CBS Colorado? Dynamic
Favorite word: gagoolio
Least favorite word: Sold out
Favorite sound: The sound of my sons excitedly telling me about their day, or the sound of them breathing deeply as they sleep.
What keeps me in Colorado: my family, friends, my neighborhood, my home, my work
What's the biggest risk you've taken? Repeatedly asking a news reporter at another station to go out for dinner. It all became worthwhile when she married me.
You can contact Brian by sending an email to yourreporter@cbs.com.
Alleged victims recount how they said David Zoda deceived them, collected thousands of dollars in moving charges, then allegedly dumped their belongings in storage lockers in Aurora.
Body cam video shows a handcuffed suspect being thrown to ground by an Aurora police officer.
A Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputy resigned and pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge this month after Greenwood Village police officers initially failed to cite her for DUI, in what their chief indicates was a mistake due to "inexperience."
Aurora only hired 17 new police officers last year. In an effort to beef up hiring numbers, the city is reforming its hiring practices by adopting more relaxed standards.
A helicopter pilot for AirLife, who was stopped for suspected drunk driving last month on his way to work, has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The alleged sexual assault happened in May of 2022 and has not been made public until now.
The Colorado Medical Board has disciplined a family physician in western Colorado for prescribing ivermectin to some of his patients without properly informing them of the risks.
Breath tests showed the veteran pilot's blood alcohol level was .126 as he was on his way to work in full flight uniform. He has since resigned, according to his lawyer.
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A district judge has ordered former Arapahoe County Human Services caseworker Robin Niceta to pay $3 million to Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky after Jurinsky sued Niceta for slander, libel and outrageous conduct.
"That hospital said they had a patient who has possibly consumed rat poison in his food from the same restaurant," said Arapahoe County Sheriff deputy John Bartmann.
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After learning that an Aurora police officer was recently promoted to detective, three years after he was found drunk and unresponsive at the wheel of a police car, a member of Aurora City Council's Public Safety Committee on Thursday promised to seek rule changes to prevent such promotions in the future.
Officer Nathan Meier was never arrested or charged with DUI despite his blood alcohol level being more than five times the legal limit and an admission of drinking back in 2019. In his new position, Meier will be earning a salary of $110,399, an increase of $10,000 from his previous position as an officer.
A CBS News Investigation has learned the former principal of a Denver Public School, Kimberly Grayson, resigned in August in the midst of two internal investigations into her conduct.