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Aspen pot shop robber faces up to 12 years in prison

Jason Auslander
The Aspen Times
Hayden May

The 22-year-old man who robbed an Aspen marijuana dispensary with a hammer in July pleaded guilty Monday to three felonies and faces between four and 12 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

As part of a plea deal, Hayden May pleaded guilty to robbery, theft and aggravated motor-vehicle theft. There is no deal on sentencing, which will occur April 18.

The main benefit of May’s deal is that the District Attorney’s Office will dismiss a count of aggravated robbery of a controlled substance while armed with a deadly weapon, said Molly Owens, his public defender. May would have faced between 16 and 48 years in prison had he been convicted of just that charge.



May robbed Stash marijuana dispensary, 710 E. Durant St., on July 28 while armed with a hammer. He told employees at the store, who also were his friends, that he was desperate before walking behind the counter and stealing several large jars of marijuana.

After May fled the store, he stole a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe from his former employer in Aspen’s East End and headed east on Interstate 70. The next day, police attempted to pull him over west of St. Louis, but he refused to stop and led them on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of 100 mph.




May didn’t stop until he crashed head-on into a police car, then hit a utility pole. The officer in the car he hit was injured.

For the St. Louis incidents, May was charged with felony assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, felony resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance. Those charges are still pending.

The victims in the Aspen case did not attend Monday’s hearing, though Aspen prosecutor Andrea Bryan said they were not happy with the plea offer. She told District Judge Chris Seldin she plans on continuing discussions with the victims in the weeks leading up to May’s sentencing.

May has been held in the Pitkin County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond since he returned to Aspen in August.

In other District Court news Monday:

• A 39-year-old Aspen man pleaded guilty Monday to felony menacing, possession of steroids and assault in connection with two domestic-violence incidents that occurred last year with a relative.

Leandro Vincent Contreras would have faced between two and 6½ years in prison for the pleas, though the District Attorney’s Office agreed to recommend only probation as part of a plea deal.

For the felony menacing count, Bryan agreed to allow Contreras a two-year deferred sentence, meaning the guilty plea will be wiped from his record if he stays out of trouble for two years.

Contreras admitted to using his hands as a deadly weapon, and Bryan said he allegedly put his hands around his relative’s neck in a “choking incident” in May. The alleged assault took place in January 2015, while the possession of steroids occurred in June.

• A 38-year-old man with ties to the Roaring Fork Valley pleaded guilty to possession of heroin Monday and will likely receive two years’ supervised probation when he is sentenced next month, a prosecutor said.

Scott Bleiler was arrested in November after allegedly beating up his fiancee at a downtown hotel while binging on heroin and crack cocaine, according to court documents. He was originally charged with harassment, domestic violence, possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of drug possession.

He has attended treatment centers in Utah and Colorado since the incident, said Fred Whitaker, his attorney.

Bleiler is scheduled to be sentenced April 18.

• A 37-year-old man who allegedly used a bank card he found in an ATM in downtown Aspen to steal $200, and later showed up to court with a coffee cup filled with alcohol, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors Monday.

Daniel Enzfelder was sentenced to 120 days in jail for the pleas and given credit for having already served 48 days in jail. He pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of a financial transaction device and theft. In exchange for the plea, the District Attorney’s Office dropped a felony charge of criminal impersonation.

Enzfelder was caught on video using the ATM card on Aug. 3 at U.S. Bank, 420 E. Main St. He showed up to court in September with a coffee cup filled with alcohol and later blew a 0.24. After he sobered up and appeared in court, he fled to California and had to be extradited back to Aspen earlier this month.

Prosecutor Andrea Bryan said she planned to file a restitution motion for the $200, and also wants Enzfelder to pay for his own extradition costs.

jauslander@aspentimes.com

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