Man convicted of stealing bronze plaques from Denver's MLK Jr. monument

DENVER (KDVR) – A man who turned himself in for stealing bronze works of art of the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument in the city park was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty, court records show.

According to Denver Police, Robert Duran, 47, turned himself in on Thursday, February 29. Investigators said Duran helped damage one of the stolen metal pieces and was arrested on one count of criminal mischief valued at $20,000 – $99,999.

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The other suspect in the case, Herman Duran, 68, was arrested ten days after Robert turned himself in to police. Herman was released on a $300 bond on May 15 and will appear in court for arraignment on November 7. He faces two charges: criminal mischief $20,000-$100,000, and theft $20,000-$100,000.

Police began searching for the Durans in February after damage was discovered to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monument in City Park, and further damage to the Thatcher Memorial Fountain, also in City Park. Denver police said the artworks were likely stolen and sold for scrap metal, and did not believe the thefts were bias-motivated crimes.

The The MLK Jr. Monument was installed in 2002 and features several civil rights leaders, including Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sojourner Truth. The bronze plaque was completely removed, along with pieces of the monument’s marble, and repairs were expected to cost at least $100,000 before some pieces were recovered.

A fundraiser to repair the statue was launched by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and his wife, former State Representative Wilma Webb. The fundraiser raised more than $12,000 to repair the monument.

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Recycling of employees who have used ScrapTheftAlert.com helped police identify and recover some of the artworks sold for scrap.

On Friday, Robert pleaded guilty to the single charge, which is a misdemeanor, and received a two-year deferred sentence. He must pay $69,900 in restitution for the stolen artwork and damage to the monument.

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