Three defendants tied to Boulder bank robbery receive federal charge…

Three Pueblo defendants tied to a series of bank robberies along the Front Range, including Boulder, were federally charged on Wednesday.

Leo Elias Benavidez, 34; Ashley Raeanne Cooper, 33; and Britne Bree Schneider, 25; made their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Crews, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

Benavidez is charged with four counts of bank robbery and aiding and abetting, Cooper is charged with four counts of bank robbery and aiding and abetting, and Schneider is charged with a single count of accessory.

This comes after the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office identified the three suspects as being tied to a bank robbery in Boulder on June 15. The three suspects were arrested by Louisville police after allegedly robbing U.S. Bank on 1650 28th St. in Boulder.

All three were also charged under state law in Boulder County.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, during the months of May and June Benavidez and Cooper robbed four banks in the Denver-metro area and attempted to rob a fifth, with Schneider reportedly driving the getaway car following three of the robberies.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, the Brighton Police Department, the Denver Police Department, the Arvada Police Department, the Westminster Police Department, the Boulder Police Department, and the Lafayette Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dunn is leading the prosecution.