Death Threats Police Investigation

(Investigation by Denver Police homicide detective Joel Humphrey with help from the Arvada Police Department, see APD Case #07-2553. Williams was picked up for a mental health hold by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department.)

VICTIM 3, employed as a master plumber with the well-established Benjamin Franklin Plumbing company, realized the mortgage fraud that Williams was committing “supposedly on my behalf” to purchase a property for 50% over its apparent value. Williams/Sky had repeatedly attempted to sell by way of mortgage fraud a home located in Highlands Ranch, Colorado,  elsewhere on this site referred to as the the “Wynspire property”. Two days before the scheduled closing, VICTIM 3 backed out of the deal. Williams began to berate VICTIM 3 and informed the victim that Williams had purchased a gun the day before. This was truthful; he had actually just purchased a gun. Williams indicated that he had put $4,000 of his own money as down payment toward the purchase of this house (that was part of the mortgage fraud) so if VICTIM 3 backed out, he claimed, the victim would be robbing Williams of that $4,000. VICTIM 3 says that at this point Williams threatened to kill both VICTIM 3 and VICTIM 3’s spouse. Local law enforcement picked up Williams for this and other death threats that Williams made including in statements to VICTIM 5, and VICTIM 4, described here in other Death Threats posts.

Systematic Misrepresentation of Commission

As he has done with other clients, both friends and relatives, Williams misrepresented to CLIENT W.D that he was helping him as a friend and therefore the buyer would save the money that would otherwise go to a Realtor’s commission. In reality, Williams collected a full commission. He used this misrepresentation with other clients including:
• CLIENT J.S.W, of Schaumburg and now Elgin IL. This client fought with Williams for months until Williams finally reimbursed them for the amount of his 2005 Keller Williams referral commission on their real estate transaction as he had originally promised.
• VICTIM 1 was promised by Williams that he would help the victim for free, on the purchase of a W 64th Place, Arvada CO property, specifically, that VICTIM 1 would save the amount of the Realtor’s commission. Not only did Williams end up collecting a full commission at closing, but further, he went from claiming he was helping for free, to threatening VICTIM 1 that legally, the victim could not work with any other Realtor. VICTIM 1 indicates never having signing a Buyer Agency Agreement, and yet, “A staff worker at my old school in Arvada was selling her home, and I wanted to look at it, and Shaun told me, ‘You’re not legally allowed to look at any properties with any other realtor. You have a contract with me.’” This was after Williams had told VICTIM 1 he was helping for free.

Attempted Falsified Verification of Deposit

After VICTIM 3 backed out of the purchase of the Wynspire property, and in similar fashion as recorded elsewhere on this site, Williams put the new buyer’s name on William’s own checking account to falsify income to the lender.
The buyer (VICTIM 2) realized the severity of the criminal behavior being proposed, and backed out of the deal. Williams then berated the victim for refusing to purchase the home, even though that purchase:
• would be based upon an extensively fraudulent mortgage application; and
• would illegally disguise $80,000 in promised cash back to the buyer;
• would be for a sales price of $500,000 (which is more than 50% above the property’s reasonable market value).

Other Examples of Intimidation

• In January 2007 at Downing St in Denver, in front of his then wife, and VICTIM 2, and another witness, Williams threatened to smash the victim’s car, and ran off toward the parking garage. Williams’ wife said, “I’ll go stop him,” and ran off after him.
• In the fall of 2006, Williams held a gun in his car at the same Denver address toward a pedestrian who he had a minor confrontation with.
• In February 2007, Williams has indicated suicidal, and homicidal, tendencies. Also, on Feb. 5, 2007 at an evening meeting regarding William’s real estate dealings at Coors Way, in Arvada CO, once again those around him reasonably feared that Williams would get a gun and start shooting people.

Death Threats Against those Revealing Fraud

• On Feb. 5, 2007, VICTIM 4 and VICTIM 5 were discussing the very difficult circumstances of exposing Williams’ real estate fraud and its aftermath, when Williams ran to the front door in anger, screaming that he’s going to start killing people.
• On Feb. 6, 2007, Williams issued a threat to VICTIM 4, that his real estate problems would only be solved through bloodshed, or if VICTIM 6 gives $34,000 to Williams. At this point, the various police jurisdictions began to work together to intervene. Williams later agreed to a family negotiated out-of-court settlement to stop the Yosemite HOA and VICTIM 1 and VICTIM 2, from suing Williams, and so he gave a cashier’s check of $30,000 to VICTIM 2 the newly appointed HOA president, who deposited that check with then Treasurer of the Yosemite Street Condominiums HOA into a newly created HOA account to go toward repairs of property damaged by Williams, to replace a boiler, repair the electrical system and pay off an Xcel energy lien. Williams later regretted giving those funds, and has demanded return of the $30,000 plus $3,200 from a previous agreement that he also now regrets, rounding up the amount demanded to $34,000.

VICTIM 3 Death Threat Particulars

• VICTIM 3 indicates that Williams told them he had just purchased a gun, and then Williams “threatened to kill us… He threatened to put a hole in our heads, and he said that to me and [my spouse].”
• VICTIM 2 recounts the story of Williams asking the Hispanic laborers at the Yosemite Street Condominium complex, “How much do you want to kill VICTIM 3?” to which one of the two replied, “We’ll shoot him for $1,000.” Williams continued, “No, not shoot him. Kill him!” And Williams added, “You can use my gun, it has a scope on it.” VICTIM 2 indicates that he repeatedly urged Williams to “shut up,” hoping he was joking.
• VICTIM 2, eventually the duly elected president of the Yosemite HOA, was happy to get contact information for VICTIM 3, and wanted to meet the victim, to conduct HOA business, since VICTIM 3 was also a property owner of a distressed unit in the Yosemite Street Condominium complex at risk of foreclosure. However, VICTIM 3’s spouse was so fearful from the threat, that she urged VICTIM 3 not to meet VICTIM 2, fearing it was just a trap for Williams to kill VICTIM 3.
• CLIENT W.D recounts that in the fall of 2006, Williams repeatedly stated that if VICTIM 3 shows up at William’s property, Williams would kill him. These statements were apparently made repeatedly in front of several witnesses.

Complainant Learns of Death Threat

Looking into the impropriety of William’s real estate deals, this complainant contacted VICTIM 3, and was told the story of this death threat. When the complainant shared this story separately with two of Williams’ other clients, they both added their own, credible accounts of Williams threatening to kill VICTIM 3. These clients are VICTIM 2, and CLIENT W.D, who purchased a HUD property in Jan. 2007 with Williams as his Realtor. With that corroborating evidence, the complainant urged VICTIM 3 to report this death threat to the police, which the victim did, which began an investigation by Denver Police homicide detective Joel Humphrey. Detective Humphrey has interviewed CLIENT W.D and that client’s spouse, VICTIM 3, VICTIM 2, Shaun Williams, and it is believed, William’s then wife. Det. Humphrey successfully brought his concern to other local jurisdictions, resulting in Williams being picked up by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department for a mental health hold, and Arvada Police officer J. Hotchkiss, taking the matter seriously and taking a report of other threats issued in Arvada.

Williams Usurped Authority over Buyer’s Loan

Williams was assembling the buyer’s mortgage application, and urged the buyer to make a five percent down payment, however buyer insisted on putting ten percent down to get a better mortgage rate. At closing, the buyer found out that Williams had instructed the mortgage broker, Andy Inhelder, to prepare the loan with the five percent down payment that Williams had insisted upon, against the buyer’s direct instruction. Williams explained that his motivation was to get more cash back to the buyer, to use those funds to apply for additional units, as he repeatedly claimed, he was putting his clients on “the fast track,” to make them rich quickly.

Obtained Townhouse through Deception and Fear

Williams owned a townhouse at Parkington Lane, Highlands Ranch, CO. Williams acquired this property as a result of extreme deception and instilling fear in the previous owner. In 2004, Williams falsely claimed to his first fiancé, VICTIM 12, and to his future in-laws, including the bride’s father, that Williams had served in the special forces, as a Navy Seal. This complete fabrication, along with other egregious deceptions, led VICTIM 12 to divorce Williams, ending their marriage later that year. The Parkington Lane townhouse was owned by the bride’s father, but he allowed Williams to take ownership of that property out of fear for his daughter’s safety.