Former Durango Finance Director Accused of Theft/Embezzlement

Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 10:21 AM

Court documents show former Durango Finance Director Julie Brown is accused of stealing almost $500,000 from the city of Durango.

From the City of Durango

July 8, 2020

The La Plata County District Court has signed the arrest warrant for Julie Brown, the former Finance Director of the City of Durango. Ms. Brown is being charged with: Theft of $100,000.00 or more but less than $1,000,000.00, as defined by C.R.S. 18-4- 401(1)(a),(2)(i),class 3 felony; Identity Theft, as defined by C.R.S. I 8-5-902(1)(c), a class 4 felony; Embezzlement of Public Property, as defined by C.R.S. 18-8-407(1), a class 5 felony; and Forgery, as defined by C.R.S. 18-5-102(1)(c),(e), a class 5 felony. Bail has been set at $25,000. The District Attorney’s office will seek to modify the bond to a personal recognizance bond so that Ms. Brown can be released from jail, while her case is pending. The jail is currently experiencing excess capacity and is having difficulty maintaining social distancing sufficient to maintain a safe jail environment. The bond statute presumes that defendants should be released on the least restrictive conditions taking into account the safety of the community and whether the person is a flight risk. Given the underlying facts of this case, the District Attorney does not consider Ms. Brown to be a safety risk to the community; and her willingness to cooperate with CBI these last nine months suggests that she is not a flight risk.

More from Local News

Colorado Business Expands in Farmington

NM-backed expansion expected to generate more than $22 million economic impact
2026 NM Primary Local (Unofficial) Results

We'll be updating this page with results throughout the evening on Tuesday, June 2, 2026: These are the unofficial results of the contested NM Primary races in San Juan County on June 2, 2026:
Remainder of Piñon Hills Blvd. Extension Fully Funded

Phase III of the $30 million project includes $27 million in state funds and $3 million in matching funds from San Juan County to fully fund and complete the project by 2029.
Durango Begins Water Restrictions

Irrigation for lawns accounts for 70% of Durango’s water usage, so outdoor landscape will be limited to three days a week between the hours of 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. for both residential and commercial users. Odd-numbered addresses are restricted to watering on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Even-numbered addresses are restricted to watering on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Outdoor landscape irrigation is prohibited during all hours on Wednesdays.
Police ID Suspect and Officers involved in Hines Rd. Shooting

Upon arrival, officers observed a male and female walking who matched the provided descriptions. Officers gave commands for Leon Quintana (27) to place his hands on his head and walk backward toward them. During the encounter, Mr. Quintana hesitated and shifted his movements while officers continued giving commands. He then produced a firearm and fired a shot toward officers, striking an officer’s patrol car. A second shot was also fired.
2024 Election: San Juan County Contested Races

These are the unofficial election results from voting on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 of the contested races in San Juan County, NM.