A man who allegedly broke into a Cortez home and left his Colorado ID on the front window sill in October was sentenced Thursday to one year with the Colorado Department of Corrections.
In 22nd Judicial Court before Judge Douglas Walker, Deputy District Attorney Sheena Goldsborough said Rosco A. Hampson, 30, no current address, has a criminal history dating to 2003.
In October 2014, Hampson allegedly stole a 2005 Ford Explorer, a 2003 Dodge Ram and a 2006 Mazda 6 from Sunshine Motors on East Main Street and a 2013 Ford Explorer from a resident.
He was apprehended while attempting to steal a 1982 tanker truck from the Montezuma County Road Department and later sentenced to three years in prison for violating probation in connection to the auto thefts.
The new charges of first-degree criminal trespass and criminal mischief stem from an incident on Oct. 20. According to a Cortez Police Department incident report, a woman reported that someone had broken into a home on the 800 block of Ridge Drive overnight.
She said she was at the home the previous night about 9 p.m. and the door was boarded up. When she returned the next day at 8:30 a.m., the plywood had been kicked in, a McDonald’s food bag was in the front yard, and Hampson’s ID was on the window sill.
According to Montezuma County property deeds, the home is owned by Randon Mathews. The Cortez police report states an officer stopped a car at McDonald’s the night before. Mathews was driving, and Hampson was a passenger.
Walker said he has information suggesting that a lot of people have stayed at the home on Ridge Drive. He said Mathews’ mother took over the house, and Mathews now lives with his mother.
On Thursday, Hampson pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal trespass, a Class 5 felony. A charge of criminal mischief was dismissed.
Walker informed Hampson that this was at least the third time Hampson has been convicted of a felony. He cautioned Hampson that one more felony would bring on the habitual offender status, meaning his sentence would be much longer than normal.
Goldsborough said the district attorney’s office believes this is Hampson’s fourth or fifth felony.
Walker offered Hampson an opportunity to speak before sentencing. He said he just wants to “get off paper” and move on with his life. Hampson, who said during a 2015 court hearing that he was addicted to meth for 10 years, said on Thursday that when his sentence is complete, he would pursue rehab in Cortez.
“I’ve changed a lot of things already. I’ve just got a few things I need to work on,” Hampson said. “Unfortunately, DOC doesn’t offer too many drug rehabilitation centers as far as the rehab goes, but I have rehab taken care of here in town.”
Walker wished Hampson luck in rehab. Unless Hampson treats his drug addiction, Walker said, he will never “get off paper.”
“I don’t want to see you end up the rest of your life in prison,” Walker said.
sdolan@the-journal.com
