Stolen Assets Investigations in Colorado

01Colorado's remedy

Why Colorado's Civil Theft Statute Changes the Math

Many owners assume that once property is gone, the only path is a police report and patience. Colorado offers more. Under C.R.S. § 18-4-405, property obtained by theft, robbery or burglary is to be restored to the owner, and a sale does not defeat the owner's right. The owner may bring an action against the thief or any person in whose possession the property is found and may recover the greater of $200 or three times the actual damages, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees.

There is an important limit: damages and fees cannot be recovered from a good-faith purchaser or holder. That makes the facts decisive. Who took the property, who holds it now, and what each person knew are exactly what a stolen assets investigation is designed to establish. Your attorney decides whether and whom to sue. Counsel can read about our support for Colorado attorneys, and owners weighing the cost can start with our investigator cost guide for Colorado.

• Owner may sue the thief or any holder
• Greater of $200 or three times actual damages
• Costs and reasonable attorney fees
• No damages or fees against good-faith buyers

02Physical property

Tracing Jewelry, Collectibles and Household Valuables

Stolen valuables usually pass through a small number of channels: resale and consignment shops, online marketplaces, collectors' groups, and acquaintances of the person who took them. We start with your documentation, including photographs, appraisals, serial numbers, engravings and receipts, then monitor listings and resale channels for matching items. Distinctive pieces such as signed jewelry, custom firearms cases, watches with serial numbers or rare coins are easier to trace than common goods, much as our stolen car investigations rely on VINs.

When the theft happened inside the home, the list of people with access is often short: contractors, house sitters, movers, relatives, roommates or guests. We look at that list carefully and fairly, using lawful records and interviews rather than accusations. Storage units are another frequent hiding place, and we document what is visible from public areas without entering anyone's space. Our workplace theft investigations use similar methods for businesses, and a witness background check helps assess people who claim to know where items went.

03Older adults

When a Parent's Money or Property Disappears

Some of the most painful cases involve a parent or grandparent whose savings, jewelry or home equity drain away under the influence of a new friend, a caregiver or a relative. Colorado treats this seriously. Under C.R.S. § 18-6.5-108, many professionals, including health care providers, caregivers and certain bank staff, must report suspected mistreatment of an at-risk elder, meaning a person aged 70 or older, to law enforcement within 24 hours. Adult Protective Services is run by county human services departments.

We help families gather the facts those agencies need: account changes the family can lawfully see, property transfers on public record, new names on deeds or vehicle titles, and accounts from neighbors and friends. AARP ElderWatch, a partnership with the Colorado Attorney General, takes calls at 1-800-222-4444, option 2. Our Boulder investigators handle many of these family cases. Our elder scam investigations cover fraud by strangers, and our retirement home abuse investigations cover theft inside care facilities.

04Marital property

Assets Moved or Hidden During a Colorado Divorce

In a Colorado dissolution case, an automatic temporary injunction under C.R.S. § 14-10-107(4)(b) takes effect against the petitioner on filing and against the respondent on service. It generally bars transferring, encumbering, concealing or disposing of marital property outside the ordinary course of business without consent or a court order. When a spouse moves cash, vehicles, collectibles or business assets anyway, the result can look a great deal like theft from the marital estate.

We trace those movements for the client's attorney: new accounts and entities on public record, property and vehicle transfers, items listed for sale, and assets parked with friends or relatives. Our guide to hidden assets in a Colorado divorce explains the warning signs. When the case also involves infidelity spending, our married infidelity investigations document where the money went, and our process serving division can serve the petition so the injunction binds the respondent.

05Money sent away

Crypto Kiosks, Wire Transfers and Online Fraud

Money taken through a scam is harder to trace than a stolen ring, but not impossible. Colorado's Vending of Digital Assets Act, SB25-079, effective January 1, 2026, sets daily crypto kiosk limits of $2,000 for new customers and $10,500 for existing ones. It also requires a full refund of a new customer's first transaction sent outside the United States if the fraud is reported to the operator and a government or law enforcement agency within 60 days. Speed matters, and our Colorado Springs investigators see these cases often.

We document the transaction trail, identify the people and accounts the scammer used where lawful sources allow, and organize the file for law enforcement, the kiosk operator and counsel. The Attorney General's Stop Fraud Colorado site accepts consumer complaints. Our crypto scam investigations and general scam investigations explain how we handle these cases, which start at $2,000 because they demand detailed tracing and careful reporting.

06For businesses

Inventory Loss, Embezzlement and Insider Theft

Businesses lose assets in quieter ways: inventory that walks out the back door, refunds issued to friends, company cards used for personal purchases, or funds diverted by a trusted bookkeeper. Those losses often surface during a year-end count or a lender's review. We investigate with the business owner and counsel, examining access logs, records, camera footage and patterns, then interviewing staff in a way that is fair and documented, applying the same care as our employee background checks.

When the facts point to an employee, our employee theft investigations build the record a prosecutor, insurer or employment attorney will need. When controls are the real problem, our fraud risk audits identify the gaps, starting at $1,200. Colorado's insurers are required to keep anti-fraud plans that include fraud investigators, so a well-documented loss can also make an insurance claim move faster. Business cases along the northern Front Range can start with our Greeley investigators.

07How we work

Lawful Tracing, Measured Conclusions and Clear Pricing

We trace assets through public records, permissible-purpose data, lawful observation and interviews. We do not obtain bank records by pretext, access someone's accounts, enter private property or confront the person holding the property. Recovery happens through police, a court order or a negotiated return led by counsel. Delator Group, licensed in Tennessee and headquartered in Nashville, keeps no Colorado office and brings Tennessee's licensing standard to Colorado, which does not license investigators at the state level.

Asset investigations carry a $1,000 minimum, scam investigations start at $2,000, audits start at $1,200, and investigative time is $100 per hour within an approved budget. Once a judgment is entered, execution on a district court judgment may generally issue for up to twenty years under C.R.S. § 13-52-102, so a careful trace has lasting value. Our Colorado pricing lists every rate, and our debtor skip tracing finds people who moved after judgment.

Services

Stolen Assets Investigation Services in Colorado

• Valuables tracingWe monitor resale shops, marketplaces and collector channels for jewelry, watches, coins and heirlooms that match your photographs and records.Learn more
• Holder identificationLawful records and interviews establish who holds the property now and what they knew, the facts that decide a civil theft claim.Learn more
• Elder exploitation casesWe document property transfers, new account names and the people around an older adult so families can report to the right agencies.Learn more
• Divorce asset tracingFor counsel, we trace cash, vehicles, collectibles and business assets moved or hidden while a Colorado dissolution case is pending.Learn more
• Scam and crypto tracingTransaction trails, kiosk records and the accounts a scammer used are documented quickly and clearly for law enforcement, the operator and your attorney.Learn more
• Business loss investigationsInventory shrinkage, refund abuse and embezzlement are examined through records, camera footage and fair, documented interviews with the staff involved.Learn more
• Storage and hiding placesWe identify storage units, garages and third-party locations where property may be kept, documenting only what is lawfully visible from public areas.Learn more
• Fraud risk reviewAfter a loss, an audit of controls, access and processes shows how the theft happened and how to prevent the next one.Learn more
• Post-judgment asset searchesOnce counsel wins a judgment, we identify real property, vehicles and business interests the defendant may hold in Colorado or elsewhere.Learn more

How it works

How a Stolen Assets Case Proceeds

1. 01

   Inventory what was lost

   A member of leadership reviews your photographs, appraisals, serial numbers, account statements and police report, and asks exactly who had access to the property and when.

2. 02

   Written scope and budget

   We set out the tracing steps, monitoring, interviews, expected hours and cost in writing, and start only when you or your attorney have reviewed and approved them.

3. 03

   Trace and document

   Investigators follow the property and the money through lawful channels, identify current holders, and document what each person knew, sharing any urgent finding with police promptly.

4. 04

   Report for recovery

   You receive a sourced report suited to police, an insurer or counsel, with the chain of possession laid out clearly for a civil theft claim.

Compare

Colorado Tools for Recovering Stolen Assets

Statewide coverage

Stolen Asset Cases Across Colorado

Delator assigns investigators to stolen asset cases throughout Colorado, from Denver and the south metro suburbs to Boulder County, the Pikes Peak region and the Western Slope. Clients in Arapahoe County can begin with our Littleton investigators, Douglas County clients with our Castle Rock team, and capital-area clients with our Denver investigators. Delator has no Colorado office. We set the scope and budget in writing, keep one leader responsible for the file, and coordinate with police and counsel at every stage.

• Denver
• Littleton
• Castle Rock
• Boulder
• Colorado Springs
• Greeley
• All of Colorado

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Every service

Investigations available in Colorado

Every service below is available in Colorado and across Colorado, run by the same Delator Group leadership that manages our Tennessee casework. Choose a service to read how it works in Colorado.

Service areas

Private investigators across Colorado