FBI arrests COS repeat offender who would have been released on bond after parole discharge
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A man, whom Colorado Springs police call "violent," will remain in police custody after the federal government got involved.
Nathan Meek, 41, was found with a plethora of illegal drugs in January, and a day before he could bond out of jail on his state charges, the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Colorado indicted him on a half-dozen federal charges.
Meek was on parole from the Colorado Department of Corrections after being sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019 for possession of drugs with an intent to distribute. The Colorado Department of Corrections says Meek was released from prison on August 22, 2022. His release came three years into his eight-year sentence.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) arrested Meek on multiple felony warrants on Jan. 19. The arrest led to the seizure of a stolen gun, 4.8 pounds of methamphetamine, 80 grams of cocaine, over 3,000 dollars, 1.5 pounds of marijuana, 1220 fentanyl pills, two handguns, and two shotguns. Meek's felony warrants were for felony burglary, assault, and menacing.
Court records obtained by KRDO13 Investigates show Meek allegedly "pistol whipped" a woman he was seeing in December 2023. The arrest documents also say Meek threatened to "kill" the woman he allegedly assaulted.
On Meek's second hearing on January 25, El Paso County Judge Hilary Alice Perry Gurney set Meek's bond at $35,000. Despite being able to post that amount, Meek has been held on a "U.S. Marshal hold," the prosecuting attorney for the 4th Judicial District Attorney's office said in court documents.
The U.S. Marshal's office for the District of Colorado tells KRDO13 Investigates a hold is typically placed on people who have "pending federal charges via an active federal arrest warrant." Additionally, they say, "Once that person clears any local charges or posts bond, then we are notified to come take custody of them before they are released."
Court records show Meek was indicted by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado for a half-dozen federal drug charges related to what was found inside his apartment when he was arrested.
"The state and the federal government, they're not sub-entities of one another. So the state could prosecute and also the feds prosecute," former 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler explained.
Brauchler says the federal government may come down on cases in which they have probable cause where the state court system hasn't taken a violent offender seriously, allowing them to be arrested time and time again for serious felony charges.
"The people in charge of state government, both at the legislative and executive levels for a long time now, have wanted to deemphasize incarceration as a response to criminal conduct. This is another method to do that," Brauchler said.
The Colorado Department of Corrections says Meek was discharged from parole on March 21, 2024, despite having the newly charged state case levied against him. KRDO13 Investigates wanted to ask the FBI if his indictment coinciding with his release date on parole was a mere coincidence or planned.
A spokesperson said they could not comment on an open, active case. Meek will be in a federal courtroom to face the federal indictment on April 2. In federal court, a judge could order him detention without bail if he is deemed a flight risk or a public safety threat.
Nathan Meek's attorney has not responded to our request for comment on his new charges or being held in jail on the U.S. Marshal's hold.
