Colorado Springs, Colorado. (KKTV) – For months, KKTV 11 news has been hearing about someone trying to do business with a man named Gary Gardner in Colorado Springs and having a terrible experience.
Some who reached out claimed that Gardner, the owner of the Spartan Fence Company, was hired to work, paid, and then ghosted them.
KKTV 11 News began investigating Gardner in July and learned that criminal charges had been brought against him for theft and crimes against a high-risk group, a 4th degree felony. When 11 News confronted Gardner at his home in July, he claimed he planned to reimburse everyone. He also claimed to have two tumors in his brain. When 11 News asked for any type of medical documentation to prove he was undergoing cancer treatment, Gardner did not provide any.
In Gardner arrest documents obtained by 11 News, investigators laid out a timeline for a case. The affidavit said the victim signed a contract to work on the new fence, which will begin on February 2. February 21, 2022 to the end of February. February 22, 2022. The victim claimed that Gardner never showed up and that she had trouble contacting him multiple times since February 2. 26 to March 2. On March 2, Gardner allegedly sent a text message claiming he had undergone knee surgery. On March 21, the victim sent an instant message saying she wanted a refund of the deposit, about $4,300. On April 22, the victim received a check that was returned.
On April 27, the victim received a letter from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department saying an April 15 attempt was made to serve a subpoena on the suspect, but the suspect told the deputy sheriff that the case was settled out of court. The person serving the suspect never confirmed this to the victim.
As of Tuesday night, Gardner had missed multiple court dates and had a warrant for his arrest.
Gardner was convicted in 2006 of theft of a high-risk adult, the arrest documents added. Gardner and his company have been indicted at least 11 times since 2019, according to the affidavit.
11 News also learned that Gardner was convicted of theft in Douglas County in May 2021.
Multiple people told 11 News that every time they tried to file a police report for Gardner and his business, they were told it was a civil matter.
Gardner was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, but never made an appearance.
Gardner never took a call from KKTV 11 News. He stopped communicating via email and, despite multiple visits to his home since July, did not respond to our request for more information on why he fled court. His next court appearance is scheduled for October. 6.
If you feel like a Gardner victim and would like to talk about your experience on camera, please email news@kktv.com.
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