Man accused of participating in Aurora payroll fraud sentenced to life in prison

Adams County District Court Judge Brett Martin sentenced a man to life in prison without parole Friday for running a payroll scheme at an Aurora King Soopers distribution center and planning to murder a supervisor who discovered it, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Jerrelle Aireine Smith, 44, was convicted of first-degree murder in August in the death of Ryan Dillard, a new supervisor at the facility. He was also convicted of racketeering and theft. Smith was also sentenced to 96 years in prison for racketeering.

Smith was accused of masterminding a scheme to steal from the distribution center, located at 1861 Tower Road, by creating “ghost employees” to cheat the payroll system. He and his friends stole thousands of dollars, according to the prosecutor’s office.