Denver man charged in public water system tampering case

Denver man charged in public water system tampering case

Aug. 28, 2026 (DENVER) - The Colorado Attorney General's Office, together with 14th Judicial District Attorney Matt Karzen, today announced felony charges against Fabrizio Lorenzin, 65, for alleged interference with a public water system that supplies drinking water to communities along the Front Range.

For several years, the Berthoud Pass Watershed Ditch (BPWD), which forms part of the public water system that supplies drinking water to residents in Northglenn and Golden, experienced repeated incidents in which remote diversion headgates were deliberately forced open, diverting millions of dollars' worth of drinking water and causing substantial damage to BPWD infrastructure. These multi-year sabotage events prompted a coordinated investigation.

According to the charges filed on August 24, 2026 in Grand County Court, Lorenzin is alleged to have deliberately tampered with BPWD infrastructure on August 28, 2023, resulting in a significant disruption of water flow. Additional charges relate to several 2023 and 2024 thefts of water and trail-monitoring cameras intended to protect the integrity of the BPWD operations and infrastructure.

Lorenzin is charged with one count tampering with a public water system, a class 3 felony; two counts of felony theft; and one count tampering with physical evidence, a class 6 felony.

"Protecting critical water infrastructure is a core public safety mission. This prosecution reflects our commitment to working side by side with federal and local partners to identify threats quickly and ensure those responsible are held accountable. Colorado remains firmly committed to enforcing the state's Safe Drinking Water Act and ensuring the security of its public water systems," Attorney General Phil Weiser said.

"The defendant's alleged criminal tampering with local drinking water equipment purposefully put communities at risk," said EPA Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Siler. "This case underscores the importance of coordinated law enforcement and cooperative federalism when critical infrastructure is threatened. EPA is proud to work with the Colorado Attorney General's Office and local agencies to ensure clean, safe water for Colorado communities."

This case represents the culmination of a protracted, collaborative investigation led by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and supported by the Colorado Attorney General's Office, the 14th Judicial District, the Grand County Sheriff's Office, and the City of Northglenn.

The filing of criminal charges is a formal accusation that an individual committed a crime under Colorado law. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Read a copy of the charging document (PDF).

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