FORT COLLINS — A Loveland police detective who was criminally charged in July pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon at the Larimer County Justice Center in Fort Collins.
Detective Brian Koopman, 45, is charged with attempting to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony, after a special investigation by the Weld County District Attorney’s Office. This charge is in connection with Koopman’s conduct during an investigation and prosecution of Leroy Wallace in a homicide case.
In that case, Wallace pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Christina Anjoleen Gray, 42, after she was found dead in her apartment in Loveland. Wallace was sentenced to a 30-year prison term.
On Monday, Koopman’s attorney, David Goddard, said he anticipated a four- to five-day trial. Weld County Assistant District Attorney Robert Miller estimated the matter would need four days.
Judge Scott Epstein from the 10th Judicial District in Pueblo is presiding over Koopman’s case in 8th Judicial District Court. During Monday’s hearing, he set a five-day jury trial for the week of April 25 in Fort Collins.
Koopman will appear in court again Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. for a motions hearing and status conference. Epstein said he anticipates appearing by phone for that hearing.
The plea comes as no surprise, as Goddard said in an Oct. 30 hearing that he anticipated a not guilty plea.
Background
Koopman’s role as detective has now been questioned in other ongoing litigation, including a case regarding Loveland resident Stanley Romanek, a 52-year-old Loveland man charged with distribution and possession of child pornography in February 2014.
In early October, Romanek’s attorneys argued for access to Koopman’s department personnel files and internal investigation materials. Elizabeth McClintock, one of Romanek’s attorneys, said the defense team is looking for impeachment information regarding Koopman.
The detective’s charge also came at a time when two civil cases against Koopman are working their way through the legal system.
The oldest lawsuit, initially filed in November 2009, was brought forward by plaintiff Jeremy C. Myers, who is suing Koopman for allegedly violating his constitutional rights when investigators searched his property near the old sugar factory on North Madison Avenue in September 2007 and arrested him on charges of making methamphetamine. The charges were dropped two months later.
The city has spent almost a quarter of a million dollars defending itself and Koopman in the lawsuit filed by Myers.
The second lawsuit, filed by Tammy Fisher in January 2015, alleges Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker and Koopman violated her constitutional rights when they initiated what she called an invalid criminal investigation against her in connection with another criminal case.
Loveland Police Chief Luke Hecker would not comment on the specifics of the cases, but he said at a June 2 City Council meeting that the public doesn’t have the full story.
Koopman has received seven meritorious service awards and 20 department performance and case involvement recognitions, according to Loveland Police Capt. Tim Brown. He has been with the department since April 2002.
Dana Rieck: 970-635-3630, rieckd@reporter-herald.com or twitter.com/DanaRieckRH
