Cañon City man found with 3k fentanyl pills then freed by low bond re-arrested by CBI
CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A suspect connected to what the Cañon City Police Chief called the "deadliest seizure of illicit drugs in more than a decade" is back in jail after being freed by a low bond.
Robert Broman, 36, was arrested on April 11. According to court records obtained by 13 Investigates, Broman admitted to purchasing 3,000 fentanyl pills in Arizona and bringing them back to Colorado.
In the affidavit, another suspect arrested along with Broman reportedly told investigators that it was Broman's idea to go to Arizona.
Investigators determined that based Broman conspired with two others to import over 50 grams of fentanyl pills to Colorado to sell for profit and had firearms to protect themselves while distributing the drugs.
However, just two weeks after his arrest, Broman posted a $10,000 bond and was released from the Fremont County Jail. That's when the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) got involved.
The CBI charged Broman with multiple class-1 drug felonies on May 1, the highest drug felony charge in Colorado. An elevated $250,000 bond was then granted by a Fremont County Judge.
As of Thursday, Broman has yet to post bond and remains at the Fremont County Jail.
The 11th Judicial District has a "uniform bond schedule" that's set by the Chief Judge. That gives judges an outline of how much someone's bond should be given the offense they're accused of.
For a class-1 drug felony, which Browman was charged with, the "bond schedule" states he should've been given a $10,000 bond. That's what he was given.
In recent weeks, however, Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper has been critical of how people are getting released on PR bonds or low-cash bonds.
"There have been a number of cases where individuals have failed to appear or they've been released on PR bonds. In one case, an individual had been released five times for felony crimes," Cooper said. "Then that individual re-offended and in fact, actually shot a citizen in Cañon City during a home burglary."
In addition to his new felony crimes, Broman was previously accused of second-degree murder. He was accused of shooting Christopher Erinn Robb, 41, near 1600 Locust Street in November 2021.
Broman accepted an offered plea deal offered by 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley's office that dropped the murder charge to 3rd-degree assault, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to one year in jail, but because of credit for time served, he was released that same day.
13 Investigates asked Cañon City Police Chief John Schick if Broman's prior plea deal had an impact on him being back out on the streets in a position to be allegedly distributing drugs.
"I share your concern and certainly his presence back in this capacity on our streets is very concerning to us, which is why we responded in the collaborative style that we did to apprehend him as safely as possible," Chief Schick said. "Do I believe he belonged out on the street? Absolutely not. I think we need to put him in jail and actions speak louder than words and best predictor for future behavior is past behavior."
According to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office, Broman was also re-arrested on a fugitive of justice warrant. That was issued the same day he posted his bond and was released from jail.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued this statement to 13 Investigates when we asked them specific questions about arresting Broman:
"Cañon City PD is the lead agency and CBI is assisting them with an ongoing investigation and unfortunately due to the ongoing nature of that investigation, we cannot release any details other than he was arrested on Monday, May 1, 2023 pursuant to a warrant issued by the court."
Colorado Bureau of Investigation Spokesperson
"There are quite a few small towns like mine polluted with these substances, killing more Coloradans each year," Chief Schick said. "I believe it's time we do something about it."
Do you have a tip you want 13 investigates to look into? Email us at 13investigates@krdo.com
