Aspen burglary suspect sentenced to 18 months in prison

Editor’s note: Unless individuals hold positions of public trust or there is imminent danger of harm to the public (e.g., active shooter) or there is an exceptional circumstance, suspects arrested/charged will not be named/identified until there is a conviction or a plea deal is taken.

One of four men connected to the burglary of a luxury Aspen watch store last year was sentenced to 18 months in prison Monday. 

The sentence comes after the 41-year-old from Chile spent 265 days in the Pitkin County Jail following his burglary of a vault in Avi & Co. Aspen, which reportedly contained watches worth up to $400,000 each. The suspect and four other men, all masked, allegedly tunneled through the walls of Wayan Indonesian restaurant and Forré Fine Art gallery in the middle of the night between Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, 2025, to access the vault. 

The suspect pleaded guilty on May 19 of second degree burglary of an occupied structure and attempt to influence a public servant, both class four felonies.

Pitkin  County District Judge Laura Makar sentenced him to two 18-month sentences for each of the charges to be served “concurrently,” or at the same time. Senior Deputy District Attorney Robert Whiting had recommended the suspect be sentenced to four years in prison given the “intricate and deliberate” nature of the crime.

“I do find, in particular, that this sentence is commensurate with the gravity of the offense,” Makar said. “It will prevent crime and serve as a deterrent to others.”

She said the 265 days the suspect already spent in the Pitkin County Jail will count as credit toward the sentence. The suspect’s “actual served time” is contingent upon good behavior, his participation in educational programs, and his previous criminal history, among other factors. 

The suspect’s representation said the 41-year-old’s criminal record in Chile included Driving Under the Influence and a minor shoplifting charge, but nothing of the same magnitude as the charges he currently faces.

In addition to prison time, Makar sentenced him to three years mandatory parole for the burglary charge and two years of mandatory parole for the attempt to influence a public servant.

Prior to the sentencing, the 41-year-old read a letter stating his regrets, apologizing to the community, and discussing the importance of his family — his five daughters, grandson, and parents — in Chile. 

“I would like to ask for forgiveness from the people who were affected morally and financially,” said an interpreter, who translated the suspect’s statement from Spanish to English. “I feel so sorry and ask from the bottom of my heart to be forgiven for being an accomplice in these events, which I never should have been.”

He added that he respectfully asks for forgiveness of the Aspen community for being an accomplice in disturbing their peace.

“I’m speaking to you for my family, who show because of my work and efforts as a father — the principles and the values,” he said. “I am so repentant because the thing for which I am involved in right now is something that I have taught them to be the opposite of.”

Through tears, he spoke of his last daughter, an 8-year-old he wishes to continue to support along with his other family members.

“Especially the 8-year-old, who I haven’t even told that I am here, locked up,” he said. “She doesn’t know where I am, she thinks that I abandoned her because I haven’t been around at home,” he said. “Since she was born, she hasn’t been without me. But I am so repentant, Your Honor, because I did this.”

The 41-year-old added that he made a poor decision to get involved in the burglary, but that he was in no way the “mastermind” behind the crime, as has been reported in local media. He said that he had been struggling with alcoholism, but has since gotten sober and attends Alcohol Anonymous meetings.

“I actually thank God for this time that I’ve been shut in and able to change my course in life,” he said, “realizing that because of alcohol and other things, I lost my way.”

Makar said it looks like the 41-year-old is working to take responsibility for his actions, which has influenced the sentence she entered Monday. However, she said that based on the affidavit, some of what the suspect said appears improbable.

Additionally, Makar said the suspect’s immigration status affected her consideration of a probationary sentence, as she deemed it unlikely that he would be capable of completing one.

But Justie Nicol, who represents the suspect, said there has been no evidence presented to the court that the 41-year-old had unlawfully entered the United States. To her knowledge, there is not an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold on the suspect, which would ask local law enforcement to detain an individual while the agents decide their fate. She said suspicion of an illegal status should not affect Makar’s sentence. 

Makar did not change the 41-year-old’s sentence. 

Three other men associated with the burglary were arrested in November alongside the 41-year-old, though a total of five were caught on camera breaking into the Aspen watch store. On the night of the burglary, the suspects fled after two close calls with police, before four men, including the 41-year-old, were arrested in Vail the following day. They were all transported to the Pitkin County Jail.

A 43-year-old and 35-year-old who told authorities they were from Chile at the time of arrest received lesser charges — primarily conspiracy to commit burglary. They were released on bond but deported by ICE this spring and summer. A 35-year-old who told authorities he’s from Peru still remains in the Pitkin County Jail. He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 18.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.