Jury convicts Bronco impersonator of ID and car theft

Amadeus John Harlan

JEFFERSON COUNTY – A convicted felon who pretended to be a Denver Broncos football player is jailed awaiting sentencing early next year after a Jefferson County District Court jury found him guilty of identity theft and aggravated motor vehicle theft.

Amadeus Harlan, aka Johnny Harlan, was convicted after a four-day trial. The jury deliberated less than an hour before returning their guilty verdicts Thursday.

Harlan, 40, was described by a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s office as a “con man” who has routinely pretended to be a professional football player to gain the trust of individuals that he later victimizes by using their financial information to obtain high-end vehicles and loans.

In September 2007, prosecutors said, Harlan purchased a Nissan Maxima from Empire Lakewood Nissan, claiming it was for his girlfriend, who wanted to buy the car in her name.

But the woman actually was a victim whose financial information was obtained by Harlan when he encouraged her to apply for a job with a sports-related business he was starting. related to sports tournaments. Harlan gained the woman’s confidence by telling her he was a former Denver Bronco. She gave Harlan her Social Security number and birth date on the job application and furnished him with a copy of her drivers license.

Employees at the Nissan dealership remembered the transaction and Harlan because he had bragged about playing for the Denver Broncos and told them that his wife could not learn about the car he was buying for his girlfriend.

Handwriting experts reviewed the loan application and sales contract from the Nissan dealership for investigators and confirmed that the contract with the woman’s signature actually had been signed by Harlan.

The woman did not discover the scheme until December 2007, when a bank contacted her for not making payments on the vehicle, When she was checked her credit reports, she found that Harlan had purchased the $40,000 Nissan and a $50,000 Chevy Avalanche on her credit.

Harlan was convicted of similar crimes in Arapahoe and Broomfield counties seven years ago when a male victim found out that a Mercedes Benz, a Cadillac Escalade and a Ford Mustang had been purchased by a man using the victim’s identity. Investigastors also learned that two unsecured loans had been obtained by Harlan and an accomplice using that victim’s name.

The victim gave Harlan a copy of his drivers’ license and Social Security number when filling out a credit application to purchase a truck at a dealership where Harlan worked. Although the victim did not complete the purchase, Harlan kept his information and was able to access the man’s credit.

Harlan also was convicted of felony theft in Denver last week, found guilty of writing phony payroll checks to employees of his bogus business “Harlan21.com”. Evidence presented during that trial showed about was $90,000 worth of bad checks had been written on his account, even though no deposits were ever made.

Harlan is charged as a Habitual Criminal, which would increase his sentences on the Jeffco and Denver convictions. If found to be a habitual offender, Harlan will be sentenced to 48 years in prison in the Jefferson County case and 24 years prison in the Denver County case, according to the 1st Judicial District DA’s Office.

Harlan will be formally sentenced on the Jeffco charges Feb. 26, 2010