A Colorado man charged in the death of another man thrown from his car when it crashed at the end of a 100-mph chase south of Cheyenne remains in jail after an online scammer swindled his family out of $100,000 meant to post his bond.
The family of James K. Moore, born in 1999, tried to put up the $100,000 cash bond set in his aggravated homicide by vehicle case in Laramie County District Court, but the court never got it, according to a motion filed by Moore’s Laramie-based defense attorney, R. Michael Vang.
In the meantime, more than three months after the July 23 crash that took the life of Christian Dawsey, Moore was bound over to district court this week on another felony charge of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
That was for the injuries another passenger in the white Hyundai Moore was driving that night suffered when the car crashed and rolled in the parking lot of Simon, a business at 6215 Clear Creek Parkway just south of Cheyenne, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed to support the new charge.
The bonds on the two cases have been merged, meaning the original $100,000 cash bond remains in effect — while Moore’s family says it can’t come up with another $100,000 after scammers took the first transfer, Vang’s motion says.
“Mr. Moore’s family attempted to post the $100,000 cash bond in this case,” he wrote in the motion filed Oct. 20. “Unfortunately, they were duped by a website claiming to be the Laramie County District Court and posted $100,000 for bond … which never appeared in the Court’s account in this case.”
Once the family realized they’d been scammed, they immediately contacted their bank, which started an investigation, along with the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI, the motion says.
In response, the bank “placed a freeze on the $100,000” and reports it “will not be completing their investigation until Nov. 20.”
The FBI, meanwhile, can take anywhere from three to 18 months to investigate and close the case, which means the $100,000 remains unavailable, Vang wrote.
He asked the judge overseeing the case to amend the bond to allow Moore to post it as a surety bond, meaning putting up something of value as collateral, instead of all cash.
The judge denied that request.
“Mr. Moore’s family does not have the funds to pay another $100,000 cash bond at the current time, and they respectfully request that the Court allow a surety bond in this case under the unique circumstances of this case.”
Meanwhile, in addition to the up to 20 years in prison Moore already faces if convicted of aggravated homicide by vehicle involving a DUI, he could get another 10 years if convicted of aggravated assault.
Started With No Taillights
Moore’s troubles began innocently enough on the night of July 23 when Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Brandon Todd spotted his white Hyundai driving south on Interstate 25 at about 11:12 p.m. without taillights on.
Todd caught up with Moore and activated his emergency lights near Exit 7, and at first it seemed Moore was going to pull over, Todd wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Instead, he drove up the off-ramp, turned onto Clear Creek Parkway and floored the gas pedal, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph in a 45-mph zone, the affidavit says.
Only about a minute later, Todd saw what he described as a “small explosion” as the Hyundai crashed somewhere ahead of him.
Three minutes later, Todd found the mangled Hyundai in the parking lot of Simon, the affidavit says.
Moore was unconscious and unresponsive behind the wheel, still belted into the driver's seat. A second man was semiconscious in the passenger seat with severe bruising on the right side of his face.
It was for this passenger that the new aggravated assault charge was filed.
As Todd tried to speak with the men, Moore began itching his nose but would not respond to verbal commands. Todd also reported smelling a strong odor of a flavored alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle.
Then the trooper began walking back through the debris field toward his patrol car and found a third passenger, later identified as Dawsey.
Dawsey was lying face down and had suffered injuries “not compatible with life,” Todd wrote.
Fake Urine And A Sex Toy
The wreckage scattered across the parking lot offered investigators another look at what may have been happening inside the Hyundai before it crashed.
Todd reported finding empty beer cans and liquor “shooters” throughout the vehicle and debris field. A small red-and-clear container of alcoholic beverage was also found in the driver's side cup holder.
As investigators went through backpacks scattered in the wreckage, Todd reported finding fake urine and a sex toy.
Four days later, Todd learned Moore was on probation and said he believed the fake urine was intended to defeat urine tests required as part of that probation.
The next day, Todd contacted the Larimer County Probation Office in Colorado and was told Moore was on probation for felony menacing involving a real or simulated weapon. Moore's probation officer also told Todd that Moore was not permitted to be in Wyoming.
Emergency crews extricated Moore and the surviving passenger.
Because the crash involved a death and serious bodily injury, a blood sample was taken from Moore at about 11:43 p.m., the affidavit says.
The court documents do not state the results of that blood test; however, they do show that a motion to exclude those results as evidence against Moore was denied.
Moore was later flown by LifeFlight to Colorado for further medical care. The other man, from South Carolina, was taken by ground ambulance to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
Investigators estimated the 2025 Hyundai sustained between $13,180 and $18,180 in damage.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
