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The son of Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert has avoided jail time after pleading guilty to charges in connection to a series of car thefts.
Tyler Boebert, 19, appeared at Garfield County Court on Thursday to enter the plea, after being arrested in February of this year. His family, including his Colorado representative mother, were in attendance.
The teenager was taken into custody by Rifle police after a series of vehicle trespass and property theft incidents. He originally faced 22 charges, including multiple felony counts for identity theft and conspiracy.
On Thursday Boebert entered a guilty plea to one count of attempted identity theft, a class five felony, as part of a plea agreement. The remaining charges were dismissed. Had he not entered the guilty plea, he could have faced a potential sentence of one to three years behind bars and a possible fine of $100,000.
The agreement also includes a two-year deferred judgment, meaning Boebert will avoid a felony conviction if he successfully completes his probation. Per Post Independent, Ninth Judicial Judge John Neiley emphasized the importance of completing the probation.
“If you have a felony on your record, you can’t own firearms, you’re going to have trouble with employment. It’s just going to be bad news all the way down the line. You’re a young guy. You don’t want to have that on your record,” he said, the outlet reported.
In a statement, District Attorney Virginia Sorrell said: “Mr Boebert was 18 at the time of these events and had no criminal history coming into this case. So this is a very serious manner in which to first come into contact with the criminal justice system.”
She added: “This disposition allows Mr Boebert an opportunity to succeed at probation and avoid sustaining a felony conviction at such a young age.”
Boebert will also be required to complete 80 hours of community service during his first year of probation. The judge also reminded the teenager of the impact his actions had on the victims.
“You’ve also got to recognize that what you did also affected the lives of the victims in this case significantly,” Neiley said, per the Post Independent, before imposing the two-year deferred judgment, along with 80 hours of community service.
The Independent has reached out to the congresswoman’s office for comment.
At the time, Boebert released a statement saying her son had been through some “difficult, public challenges”. “It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and, in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track,” she said.
The 19-year-old hit the headlines last year when Ms Boebert announced she was becoming a grandmother at 36, with Tyler becoming a father.
