A burglary in one city, a stolen car in another, and a shooting several jurisdictions away can begin life as three unrelated police reports.
The Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network, better known as RAVEN, took notice in February 2025 after a pattern emerged involving burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, robberies and assaults. Ballistic evidence eventually linked the group to hundreds of shootings.
The case reached Aurora, Arvada, Denver, Colorado Springs and Westminster, along with Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, El Paso and Jefferson counties. Warrants followed for seven adults and three juveniles, covering 89 felony and misdemeanor charges under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.
Arrest teams spent the next two weeks moving around the Denver metro area. Eight suspects were in custody by September 8. Keosha Johnson, 20, surrendered at the Arapahoe County Jail the following day and was being held on a $20,000 bond. Police were still searching for 19-year-old Hezekiah Mason.
Closing the Net
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Aurora deployed its SWAT Team, Police Area Representatives, Direct Action Response Team, Gang Unit and fugitive officers during the arrest operations. Denver Police contributed its Metro SWAT Team and Special Operations Response Team.
Deshelle Dockins, 48, was arrested on an unlawful discharge of a firearm charge. Simon Botros, 19, and Tekoa McClain, 21, each face attempted burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery charges.
Tayamond Thomas, 22, faces attempted unlawful discharge of a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of a large-capacity magazine during a crime and conspiracies involving aggravated robbery and burglary.
Kwame Hughes, 21, faces attempted aggravated robbery, menacing, conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a large-capacity magazine during a crime.
Police did not identify the juveniles. A 17-year-old from Denver faces unlawful discharge, weapons, attempted burglary and conspiracy charges. A 17-year-old from Aurora faces kidnapping, robbery, attempted burglary, conspiracy and weapons allegations. A 16-year-old from Aurora was arrested on attempted burglary, conspiracy to commit robbery and evidence-tampering charges.
Johnson faces conspiracies to commit aggravated robbery and motor vehicle theft, along with evidence-tampering allegations. Mason is wanted on those same conspiracy allegations, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, possession of a dangerous weapon, evidence tampering, and possession of a large-capacity magazine during a crime.
Sixty Miles South
The Colorado Springs case involving Botros began with robberies in which people sitting inside vehicles were approached at gunpoint, ordered out and robbed.
Botros was linked to a May 21 robbery near Dickens Drive and another June 10 near East LaSalle Street.
At 1:04 a.m. on July 7, El Paso County deputies responded to several reports of gunfire near the 2300 block of Reed Grass Way in Cimarron Hills. They found 39-year-old Michael Fell suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies and Falcon Fire Protection District personnel attempted to save him, but Fell died at the scene.
Colorado Springs robbery detectives were also looking for Botros. FBI personnel and Aurora officers located him in Aurora on July 15. Police say Botros ran before officers caught him after a short foot pursuit and Taser deployment.
On August 31, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office charged Botros with second-degree murder and robbery in Fell’s death. He was being held at the El Paso County Jail on $800,000 total bond. Damonte Linwood, 18, also faces second-degree murder and robbery charges in the homicide case.
Authorities have not linked Fell’s killing to the shootings connected through RAVEN’s ballistic evidence.
Following the Brass
Created in 2018, the Aurora-led RAVEN task force brings together personnel from more than 16 local, state and federal organizations, including police departments, sheriff’s offices, prosecutors, the Colorado Department of Corrections, Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
RAVEN uses the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, to compare images of cartridge cases recovered from crime scenes and identify potential links between evidence collected by different agencies.
RAVEN reported 127 arrests from its investigations in 2024, along with the seizure of 151 firearms, including three machine guns and 23 auto sears.
The cases are expected to be prosecuted in Arapahoe District Court.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.