Pueblo felon repeatedly released from jail on bond takes federal plea deal for mandatory prison time

PUEBLO, Colo, (KRDO) -- After repeatedly posting bail and going on to be charged in new violent crimes, a Pueblo man finally faces prison time after accepting a plea deal.

Since 2021, 44-year-old Leonard Cordova - who also has known gang ties - posted six bonds and was released from jail. All of his bonds were granted by Pueblo County Chief Judge Deborah Eyler.

Tuesday, Cordova pleaded guilty to four violations of federal law, two counts of a felon in possession of a weapon and ammunition, and two counts of possessing and distributing dangerous drugs.

According to his plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office will recommend he spend 92 to 115 months, totaling between seven and a half and nine and half years, in federal prison. Cordova's felon in possession of a weapon violation is tied to multiple violent crimes committed in Pueblo in September 2021.

Cordova's first offense was discharging a firearm at a moving vehicle outside of his house in Pueblo. Cordova was arrested on September 15, and days later, he was released on a $7,500 cash bond.

Four days after being released from jail for the first time, Cordova was arrested for attempted first-degree murder on September 19. Cordova allegedly shot at two women in a car near Northern Ave and Pine St. in Pueblo. On September 23, he was released from jail on a $100,000 bond.

Four months later, Cordova was cited for multiple violations of his bond, namely tampering with his ankle monitor, drinking, and attempting to contact a victim. He posted additional bonds totaling nearly $300,000 in cash.

After posting six bonds tied to several violent crimes, Cordova was indicted by the federal government in April 2022. He was denied release from pre-trial detention after a federal judge deemed him a public safety risk.

"His actions certainly were worthy of attention by the federal government with his use of the guns and the different things that he had done," Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller said. "I think it was super helpful for us because his criminal activity wasn't going to cease."

Noeller told 13 Investigates that the Pueblo Police Department's partnership with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office is vital to protecting public safety in cases where state charges simply aren't enough to protect citizens in the Pueblo community.

"We arrested him multiple, multiple times, so to be able to have a good result out of this with the guilty plea, it is really beneficial for our community," Noeller said.

Cordova is still awaiting sentencing at the discretion of federal judge Regina Rodriguez. However, according to federal laws, Cordova will not be granted parole once he is sentenced. According to Colorado's laws, convicted felons are eligible for parole at 50% of the time served.

"They do the significant portion of that time, and it's a huge deterrent when you're going to go to prison and serve 90% of your time, as opposed to going to prison and serving 50% of your time. I mean, it changes behaviors," Noeller said.

The U.S. Attorney outlines in Cordova's plea agreement that Cordova's attempted murder charge will remain at the state level. They outline that the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office intends to dismiss the lower-level felony crimes tied to the gun crimes and drug charges because of the federal plea agreement.

For multiple months in 2021 and 2022, 13 Investigates reached out to Judge Eyler to ask questions about her bond decisions regarding Cordova. We were repeatedly told to refer to bond laws and that the judge would not grant an interview.

The Revised statute related to bond decisions states in 3A: "The type of bond and conditions of release shall be sufficient to reasonably ensure the appearance of the person as required and to protect the safety of any person or the community, taking into consideration the individual characteristics of each person in custody, including the person's financial condition."

4A goes on to say persons are eligible for release on bond in the "least-restrictive conditions consistent with provisions in 3A."

5A-5J say the following criteria are considered:

• The employment status and history of the person in custody.
• The nature and extent of family relationships of the person in custody.
• Past and present residences of the person in custody.
• The character and reputation of the person in custody.
• Identity of persons who agree to assist the person in custody in attending court at the proper time.
• The likely sentence, considering the nature and the offense presently charged.
• The prior criminal record, if any, of the person in custody and any prior failures to appear for court.
• Any facts indicating the possibility of violations of the law if the person in custody is released without certain conditions of release.
• Any facts indicating that the defendant is likely to intimidate or harass possible witnesses
• Any other facts tending to indicate that the person in custody has strong ties to the community and is not likely to flee the jurisdiction.