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A Longmont area hotel will be sold in a sheriff’s auction after Weld County said it failed to fork over a $4.5 million payout levied when a jury found the hotel negligent in giving a room key to a man who entered the room and violently assaulted a mother and her daughter.
The Econo Lodge, off Interstate 25 and Colo. 119 in Del Camino, was ordered to pay $4.05 million in May. That payout includes $3 million for physical injuries suffered by the daughter, who was stabbed in the face, and $1.05 million for emotional distress and other “non-economic” damages suffered by both women, according to court records.
The hotel has not paid, according to Weld County court records. The county was ordered to enforce the payment of more than $4.52 million after the hotel did not pay, according to an Aug. 18 writ of execution.
The total is larger than the initial $4.05 million because of compounded interest and the required payment of the victims’ court costs, according to online court documents.
Now, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office will hold an auction for the Econo Lodge property on Dec. 11, aiming to net the full owed amount, which would go to the two women, according to a legal notice of the sale.
“I think it’s an excellent opportunity for a new owner,” the women’s lawyer, Matthew Haltzman, said over the phone. Haltzman said the previous owners showed poor management throughout the duration of the case. He said that the upcoming sale is not the end of the women’s pursuit of justice.
“It’s a step,” Haltzman said. “It’s not a complete step.”
The June 2023 lawsuit accused the hotel of recklessly failing to ensure the safety of its guests, failing to follow safety policies such as restricting room access to guests and hiring unqualified individuals.
In January 2023, the mother and daughter invited 31-year-old Cody M. Czichos, who was dating the daughter, to the room to eat pizza and watch television. He began acting erratically and unpredictably, the women said, and the two asked him to leave.
The two women never told hotel employees that Czichos should have access to the room, nor did they give him a key card to get in, the complaint said. He was also neither a registered guest of the hotel nor listed in reference to the room.
When he returned to the hotel — in the early morning hours of Jan. 4 — he approached the front desk, the complaint alleged. Both front desk employees told police that Czichos mentioned he took a lot of Xanax, among other “ominous statements,” the lawsuit said, but neither employee took any action.
After displaying intoxicated behavior in the hotel lobby for 45 minutes to an hour, the complaint alleged, Czichos requested a key card to the women’s room, and the employees gave it to him.
Czichos returned to the room and slapped one of the women before slicing the other woman’s face and hand as she tried to fight him off, records show.
Czichos is serving a 15-year sentence for the attack, after pleading guilty in April 2024 to attempted second-degree murder, third-degree assault and first-degree trespassing as part of a plea agreement, Colorado court records show.
The auction for the hotel property will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 11, at the Weld County Sheriff’s Office at 1950 O Street in Greeley.
See the original article here: https://www.denverpost.com/2025/10/30/econo-lodge-auction-longmont-assaults/
LONGMONT, Colo. — The owners of a Longmont Econo Lodge have been ordered to sell the hotel to help pay a $4 million judgment awarded to two women who were violently attacked there in 2023.
A Weld County jury in May found the hotel responsible for giving a room key to someone who was not authorized to have one, an act that led to the assault. Six months later, the women have not received any of the money awarded, prompting the court to take the unusual step of ordering the sheriff’s office to seize and sell the property.
“We're going after them. There's no doubt about it,” said attorney Matthew Haltzman.
Haltzman represents the two women who were staying at the hotel on the night of Jan. 3, 2023. According to police reports and court records, the women had invited 31-year-old Cody Czichos to their room for pizza. When Czichos began behaving erratically, they asked him to leave.
Haltzman said that Czichos then went to the front desk, gave the women’s names and room number, and was given a key without authorization.
“The front desk gave him a key, and then he used that key to break into my clients' rooms and violently attack them,” Haltzman said.
Czichos stabbed one woman in the face and hand and assaulted the other before fleeing. He is now serving a prison sentence for attempted murder.
Jurors awarded the women $4 million in damages after hearing testimony about what happened and how the hotel handled the situation.
Since that verdict, Haltzman said, the hotel’s ownership group has failed to pay any portion of the judgment. Weld County courts have now directed the sheriff’s office to auction the hotel to the highest bidder on Dec. 11.
“It is very unusual, and it is a complicated and technical legal process,” Haltzman said. “But nonetheless worthwhile to do in the interest of compensating the victims.”
Haltzman said both women see a silver lining in the forced sale.
“This is a hotel that was engaging in an incredible level of negligence that ultimately harmed two very vulnerable people,” he said. “When the hotel is sold to an investment group or an individual, my clients see that as an opportunity for change that betters the community.”
The Dec. 11 auction through the Weld County Sheriff’s Office is open to the public.
See the original article here: https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/longmont-hotel-ordered-sold-pay-judgment-attack/73-24a63365-80b7-466d-a5c8-3bce3f379bf9
LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — The Econo Lodge that sits along Interstate 25 is headed to the auction block and not by choice. FOX31 has learned the forcible sale stems from the owners refusing to pay a multi-million-dollar judgment to guests who were nearly killed in one of the hotel rooms.
“The defendant continues to drag this out and make it as painful for the victims as they can,’ Haltzman told FOX31.
Haltzman has been seeking justice for the two women who experienced a near-death experience behind the walls of the Econo Lodge in Longmont. In 2023, hotel staff reported Cody Czichos was intoxicated, high and erratic in the hotel lobby, but still gave him a room key to where the victim and her mother were staying, even though he was not a registered guest.
Czichos stabbed the victim’s hand and face with a large knife, dragged her to the floor, kicked her and ripped her tooth out. He also got physical with the victim’s mother.
The victim and her mother filed a civil lawsuit against the Econo Lodge in Longmont to hold the owners accountable. The two won the jury trial and were awarded a judgment of more than $4 million. That large sum of money is the hotel’s responsibility to pay out to the victims, but after a successful verdict, the victims hit another speed bump.
“Since the judgment in May, not a single dollar has been paid to the victims,” Haltzman shared. “This continues to be a company that does not accept responsibility for what happened for both the night that it occurred and for what the jury said”.
Haltzman goes on to tell FOX31 that despite multiple attempts to recoup the money, they’ve been met with resistance from the hotel owners. The lack of payment has now forced Haltzman to file with the court to seize assets, which a judge granted.
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office is now conducting a public auction for the property. The highest bidder, whether it be an investor or private citizen, will get the land with the money going to the victims as part of the $4 million they’re owed.
FOX31 obtained the notice of sale paperwork, and the auction is only one day on December 11th at 10 a.m.
If anyone is interested in bidding on the property, contact the Weld County Sheriff’s Office or the Haltzman Law Firm at 970-692-3440.
According to Haltzman, the sudden sale of the hotel is due to negligent behavior.
“First off, it’s a consequence of their negligence,” Haltzman said. “This is what happens when the defendant decides they’re not going to pay on the judgment.”
FOX31 reached out to the ownership and their attorney’s office, but they declined to comment.
Czichos was arrested and pleaded guilty to attempted murder, among several other charges and is currently serving a prison sentence.
See the original article here: https://kdvr.com/news/problem-solvers/longmont-econo-lodge-to-be-auctioned-of-after-failing-to-pay-4-million-judgement/
The Longmont Econo Lodge near the intersection of Interstate 25 and State Highway 119 is being sold in a sheriff’s sale on December 11 after the lodge failed to pay a $4 million judgment for negligence that led to assault and attempted murder.
The original judgment stems from an incident that occurred in a room of the lodge on January 4, 2023 when Cody Czichos, an unregistered guest, stabbed Nicole Gallegos, his ex-girlfriend, in the face. The incident occurred because the hotel staff provided Czichos with a room key without verifying he was a registered guest. Czichos also “brutally stomped on Gallegos’ head,” knocking out her teeth and causing a traumatic brain injury according to the lawsuit. He also “savagely kicked” Gallegos and broke eight of her ribs and assaulted Gallegos’ mother Carol. He was kicked out of the room earlier in the night and there were several other warning signs that the staff did not heed before providing Czichos with a room key.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Matthew Haltzman of Haltzman Law Firm, told the Longmont Leader that the sheriff’s sale is a necessary step toward providing compensation to the victims who suffered due to the defendant’s negligence. Bidding for the sheriff’s sale is open to the public and the highest bidder wins.
“The upcoming auction is the direct result of the defendant's choices,” Haltzman said. “First, the negligence that caused harm to innocent people, and second, the refusal to accept responsibility by satisfying the judgment entered against them. Our clients simply want to move forward with their lives. This sheriff's sale is a mechanism provided by law to ensure that justice is not merely symbolic, but tangible and meaningful for the victims. We remain hopeful that all parties affected will find resolution through this process, and that our clients can finally receive the compensation they are owed and deserve.”
Czichos is currently serving a 15 year sentence after pleading guilty to attempted murder, assault, and trespassing in 2024.
See the original article here: https://www.longmontleader.com/colorado-news/longmont-econolodge-sheriffs-sale-scheduled-for-december-to-cover-4-million-judgment-11415936
A Longmont area hotel will be sold in a sheriff’s auction after Weld County said it failed to fork over a $4.5 million payout levied when a jury found the hotel negligent in giving a room key to a man who entered the room and violently assaulted a mother and her daughter.
The Econo Lodge, off Interstate 25 and Colorado 119 in Del Camino, was ordered to pay $4.05 million in May. That payout includes $3 million for physical injuries suffered by the daughter, who was stabbed in the face, and $1.05 million for emotional distress and other “non-economic” damages suffered by both women, according to court records.
The hotel has not paid, according to Weld County court records. The county was ordered to enforce the payment of more than $4.52 million after the hotel did not pay, according to an Aug. 18 writ of execution.
The total is larger than the initial $4.05 million because of compounded interest and the required payment of the victims’ court costs, according to online court documents.
Now, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office will hold an auction for the Econo Lodge property on Dec. 11, aiming to net the full owed amount, which would go to the two women, according to a legal notice of the sale.
“I think it’s an excellent opportunity for a new owner,” the women’s lawyer, Matthew Haltzman, said over the phone. Haltzman said the previous owners showed poor management throughout the duration of the case. He said that the upcoming sale is not the end of the women’s pursuit of justice.
“It’s a step,” Haltzman said. “It’s not a complete step.”
The June 2023 lawsuit accused the hotel of recklessly failing to ensure the safety of its guests, failing to follow safety policies such as restricting room access to guests and hiring unqualified individuals.
In January 2023, the mother and daughter invited 31-year-old Cody M. Czichos, who was dating the daughter, to the room to eat pizza and watch television. He began acting erratically and unpredictably, the women said, and the two asked him to leave.
The two women never told hotel employees that Czichos should have access to the room, nor did they give him a key card to get in, the complaint said. He was also neither a registered guest of the hotel nor listed in reference to the room.
When he returned to the hotel — in the early morning hours of Jan. 4 — he approached the front desk, the complaint alleged. Both front desk employees told police that Czichos mentioned he took a lot of Xanax, among making other “ominous statements,” the lawsuit said, but neither employee took any action.
After displaying intoxicated behavior in the hotel lobby for 45 minutes to an hour, the complaint alleged that Czichos requested a key card to the women’s room, and the employees gave it to him.
Czichos returned to the room and slapped one of the women before slicing the other woman’s face and hand as she tried to fight him off, records show.
Czichos is serving a 15-year sentence for the attack, after pleading guilty in April 2024 to attempted second-degree murder, third-degree assault and first-degree trespassing as part of a plea agreement, Colorado court records show.
The auction for the hotel property will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 11, at the Weld County Sheriff’s Office at 1950 O Street in Greeley.
See the original article here: https://www.timescall.com/2025/10/30/econo-lodge-auction-longmont-assaults/
LONGMONT, Colo. – A hotel at the center of a lawsuit — where a mother and daughter were attacked in 2023 after the daughter’s ex-boyfriend was given a key to their room — will be offered for public sale by the Weld County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a notice of sale document obtained by Denver7, the property is set for public auction on December 11 at 10 a.m.
The latest development comes after a Weld County jury in May awarded the two women more than $4 million in damages after they were attacked while staying in the EconoLodge in Longmont.
The women claimed they invited the daughter’s ex-boyfriend, Cody Czichos, to their room and later told him to leave after he was “acting irrationally and unpredictably.”
The ex-boyfriend left the room and later went to the front desk where a hotel employee gave him a key without the permission of the women, according to the lawsuit.
Czichos stabbed the daughter and assaulted the mother and later pleaded guilty in his criminal case to attempted murder, assault and trespassing. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
According to the victims’ civil attorney, Matthew Haltzman, the auction comes after the hotel refused to pay the $4 million judgment.
“A jury heard that trial over a period of four days and awarded our clients over $4 million in a verdict, and since that date, in May, we have been working to collect that judgment for our clients from that hotel, and they have refused to pay,” said Haltzman. "Not a single dollar has been made for payment on that judgment, and so we have taken action by asking the court to direct the Sheriff of Weld County to order a sale of that hotel, and that's what's going to be occurring on December 11 of this year, in order to work on compensating the victims of this horrific case.”
According to the notice, funds from the sale would go towards the judgment.
“This is all about the victims of the case... at the end of the day, this is about getting compensation for them and getting the judgment that they're owed that was determined by a jury of their peers,” said Haltzman. "I think the idea that this hotel can change hands and be run by somebody that is not Premier Hospitality Incorporated, which is the group that was responsible for what happened, will be a huge relief to our clients... It's the opportunity to have somebody take it over and do something good with it, and it's also the opportunity to be compensated for what they fairly deserve.”
Denver7 has reached out to hotel ownership which previously declined to comment.
See the original article here: https://www.denver7.com/news/front-range/longmont/longmont-hotel-at-center-of-4-million-judgement-set-for-public-auction
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By: Amanda Hernández - July 21, 2025
Across the country, state and local crime labs are drowning in evidence.
From rape kits to drug samples to vials of blood, delays in forensic testing are stalling prosecutions, stretching court calendars and forcing impossible choices about what gets tested — and what doesn’t.
Now, as the need for forensic testing grows, state and local crime labs may face steep federal funding cuts that could further delay justice for victims, derail criminal investigations and overwhelm already backlogged systems.
Two key federal grant programs that support state and local forensic labs are at risk: One faces a major cut, while the other is funded below its authorized cap despite growing demand.
The proposed cuts have alarmed forensic experts and crime lab directors who say some labs rely heavily on these federal grants to keep up with mounting caseloads.
“That would have dire consequences on a lot of crime laboratories who depend on those funds for maintaining operations,” said Scott Hummel, the president of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, a national nonprofit professional organization.
“If you limit those resources even further, there will be backlogs,” said Hummel, who also works as a quality assurance manager at the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory in Missouri. “Those backlogs just keep growing and growing, and labs are forced to make difficult decisions on how they prioritize their casework.”
Crime labs are often invisible to the public but essential to criminal investigations. They test DNA, analyze drug samples, match ballistics and verify evidence in everything from rape cases to gun homicides. The evidence may lead to arrests, but it’s also critical in court, shaping outcomes for victims, defendants, prosecutors and defense attorneys alike.
But years of underinvestment have left many labs without enough scientists, equipment and funding to keep up. As forensic technology has advanced — particularly in digital evidence and DNA testing — demand also has risen sharply.
“As technology gets better, there’s an expectation, I think, that labs can do more than they have the capacity for,” Hummel said.
At the same time, new state laws and testing mandates are increasing pressure on already strained labs. In some states, changes in drug laws — such as renewed crackdowns on marijuana or stricter DUI thresholds — have led to a surge in requests for toxicology and drug analysis. Other states have expanded mandatory evidence testing requirements, often without providing additional funding.
Some lab directors who spoke with Stateline said that even well-intentioned policies can create bottlenecks when resources don’t keep pace with demand.
“It’s important for policymakers to realize that the criminal justice system is demanding more from us, and so we need the resources to keep up with the increased demand,” said James Carroll, the crime laboratory director with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Low pay is also a challenge, with some analysts opting for private-sector jobs that offer higher salaries and better benefits. Training new analysts can take months or even years, making it difficult to quickly fill critical positions and retain experienced staff.
“We have to be absolutely perfect, and if you have something that isn’t perfect, that can be a career ruiner,” said Mike Lyttle, the assistant director of the forensic services division at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “That is a lot of pressure.”
But that pressure can come at a cost — especially when analysts bear the brunt of it.
Lab directors and managers who spoke with Stateline said that overworking staff is not only inappropriate, but also risky. It can lead to quality issues, including “dry labbing,” or fabricated results, which could call hundreds or even thousands of cases into question.
As delays mount across the country, some state and local governments are rethinking how their crime labs are structured and funded.
In Colorado, officials are dealing with the aftermath of a major DNA testing scandal involving state-run labs, and several new laws have been enacted to establish a review board and address backlogs. Lawmakers in Rhode Island considered a bill earlier this year that would have shifted oversight of its state crime lab to the state attorney general’s office, but the bill was tabled for further study.
In Shelby County, Tennessee, a new $1.5 million investment will go toward the region’s first local lab focused on rapid DNA analysis, digital forensics and weapons ballistics. Memphis City Council officials also are working on funding at least two new positions at a state laboratory to prioritize cases from the Memphis area.
The national push to test sexual assault kits has helped bring attention to forensic evidence backlogs. But in some labs, it has also forced tough choices about what gets tested first.
In Oregon, for example, Brian Medlock, the director of the state police forensic science division, announced in January that the state lab had halted DNA analysis for all property crime evidence. Testing won’t resume until the sexual assault kit backlog is cleared — a goal the agency doesn’t expect to meet until the end of the year. As of June, 474 sexual assault kits were still awaiting testing, according to the state’s dashboard.
Like Oregon, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also is deprioritizing nonviolent cases as it works through its rape kit backlog. The agency currently has six forensic biology analysts in training across the state, limiting how many cases it can process, according to Lyttle.
The goal is to eventually process lower-priority cases, he said, but the current focus remains on sexual assault kits. Still, Lyttle acknowledged that delaying the analysis of evidence in nonviolent cases can be a missed opportunity. Uploading DNA profiles from those cases to the national database, CODIS, could help identify offenders earlier — potentially before they go on to commit more serious crimes.
“You may be losing people early because you’re deprioritizing those nonviolent cases and not getting them identified as quickly as you could,” he said. “Every case is important.”
Trump has proposed slashing one major forensic science grant program and holding funding flat for another — a combination that some officials fear could worsen evidence backlogs amid rising demand.
The Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program, which aims to help labs replace aging equipment, train staff and reduce case backlogs, would be cut by 71% under President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget — from $35 million to $10 million.
Another, the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, would receive $120 million under the proposal — below the $151 million cap authorized by Congress in 2023. While Congress can approve up to that amount, it often allocates less: $130 million in fiscal year 2023, and $120 million in both fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
The program helps labs process backlogged evidence, including sexual assault kits, and supports the expansion of the national DNA database, CODIS.
These proposals are part of the administration’s annual discretionary budget request; Congress must finalize federal agency yearly spending by Sept. 30. Presidential budget proposals are often reshaped by Congress, but Trump’s spending plans have found strong backing among Republicans on Capitol Hill. With the GOP holding majorities in both chambers, proposals to cut or limit funding for forensic science programs may be more likely to advance.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s crime labs are under intense scrutiny following a major DNA testing scandal and widespread staffing shortages that have slowed down forensic work across the board. The bureau is facing backlogs in every discipline or type of case, according to Lance Allen, a deputy director who oversees forensic services.
Much of the current crisis stems from the case of Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a former DNA scientist now facing more than 100 criminal charges for allegedly manipulating DNA results over her 30-year career. Her alleged misconduct, combined with long-standing understaffing issues, has led to severe delays.
As of June, the average turnaround time for processing sexual assault kits in Colorado was 570 days, or about 1 1/2 years, with more than 1,200 kits still awaiting testing, according to the state’s dashboard. The agency’s goal is to reduce that timeline to 90 days.
“We are not satisfied with this turnaround time either, and this backlog is also unacceptable to us, and we know we have to do better,” Allen told Stateline.
But the backlog isn’t limited to sexual assault cases. Blood alcohol testing has also slowed dramatically, according to defense attorney Matthew Haltzman, who said he has handled cases in which results took five to six months to come back.
In that time, he said, even clients who were ultimately found not to be intoxicated were forced to navigate the court system — attending hearings, undergoing weekly drug and alcohol testing and complying with pretrial supervision.
“It’s just a lose-lose for everybody in the legal process, but more so for the accused than anyone else,” Haltzman said. “It’s a massive deprivation of liberty.”
The current turnaround time for all toxicology tests is 99 days, or just over three months, according to Vanessa Beall, the Colorado bureau’s toxicology program manager. About 80% of cases are completed within that time frame or less, and all toxicology tests include blood alcohol and drug analysis.
With additional toxicologists, the bureau is already meeting its 2025 goal and aims to reduce that turnaround time to 70 days by the end of 2026.
This year, the bureau and state lawmakers have rolled out measures aimed at restoring trust in the system. Those efforts include sending more than 1,000 rape kits to private labs to reduce turnaround times, expanding staff training programs and establishing a review board within the state attorney general’s office to improve oversight.
Lawmakers also approved $3 million to support outsourcing and lab operations, along with a separate law requiring the reporting of misconduct within Colorado’s state-run forensic laboratories.
Meanwhile, Connecticut is drawing national attention for its consistent performance and growing capabilities.
Once plagued by serious issues — including a suspended accreditation in 2011 that disrupted criminal proceedings — Connecticut’s forensic lab has steadily strengthened its operations. This year, it earned a perfect accreditation score for the third year in a row.
Following its accreditation loss, the lab faced a backlog of 12,000 cases, and by 2013, turnaround times stretched up to 2 1/2 years. Today, the average turnaround is just 20 days across all disciplines.
DNA cases, including those involving sexual assault evidence, are typically processed in about 27 days. Firearms cases take about 35 days, and computer crimes about 60, according to Guy Vallaro, the director of the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services.
He credits much of the lab’s progress to its team of scientists and staff, who he says are deeply committed to both accuracy and improvement.
“When you have a good staff, you can do incredible things,” Vallaro said.
See the original article here: https://stateline.org/2025/07/21/forensic-crime-labs-are-buckling-as-new-technology-increases-demand/
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