Eric Nastri Sentenced, Closing 'Dark Chapter In Vail's History'
EAGLE, Colo. (CBS4) -- The second of two employees that embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Town of Vail was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail.
Eric Nastri, 55, of Denver, and Ron Braden, also 55, were arrested last summer after auditors and investigators discovered the pair had conspired to steal $845,915.67 from the town between 2012 and 2018.
Nastri was initially charged with violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, theft, conspiracy to commit theft, forgery, money laundering and cybercrime. He pleaded guilty to the money laundering charge.
In addition to the 30 days of jail, the judge sentenced Nastri 10 years probation (with special conditions regarding financial crimes) and ordered him to pay $156,833.40 in restitution.
Braden cut off his ankle monitor prior to his November sentencing and fled to Arizona. He fatally shot himself when authorities approached him in Maricopa County.
Braden was Vail's former Information Technology Director. Other government personnel noticed irregularities in the IT department's accounting following Braden's arrest in October of 2018 on Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and Patronizing a Prostitute charges. Braden resigned after that arrest.
Town personnel discovered a scheme set up between the two friends during Braden's absence. Braden apparently steered contracts to Nastri's various communications companies (VertiComm, All Copy and Oculogix) which then sub-contracted the work back to a company that Braden owned, Colorado Technology Convergence. The contracts were awarded with competitive bids.
Prosecutors alleged a total of $1.3 million in Vail funds were spent over the six years the two men operated their scheme. Braden's company withheld $1.1 million of that and Nastri received a small percentage in return.
The investigation into the scheme last 18 months. Braden was arrested on Independence Day this year and Nastri two days later.
"Today's sentencing closes a dark chapter in the Town of Vail's history regarding public officials who literally steal from the taxpayers' wallets," said 5th Judicial District Attorney-Elect, Heidi McCollum, who led the trial team. "The District Attorney's Office would like to thank the Vail Police Department, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and many others for their work in the investigation of this case; and, in bringing it to a close."
