Retired Police Officer Curtiss Christensen Sentenced To Jail For Buying Pipe-Bomber Roommate AR-15
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) -- A 70-year-old former Aurora Police Department officer, Curtiss Christensen, was sentenced to 90 days in jail last week for buying a rifle for a convicted felon who was living with him.
Arapahoe District Court Judge Ryan Stuart also sentenced Christensen to four years of supervised probation and 75 hours of community service.
"You have become one of the dangers you and other law enforcement officers have taken oaths to protect us against," Judge Stuart told Christensen during sentencing Feb. 14. "You made the decision to arm a violent man with a weapon. Your actions in this one case erased an entire career of public service."
Christensen reached a plea deal with prosecutors last December. He assumed responsibility for buying an AR-15 and giving it a roommate, Scott Campbell, even though he knew Campbell was a convicted felon who could not legally possess a firearm.
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Christensen was also accused of helping Campbell cover up evidence related to two explosions caused by pipe bombs, according to prosecutors.
According to the arrest affidavit for Christensen, "Curtiss Christensen knew Scott Campbell was responsible for the bombings and had advised Scott Campbell to get rid of the evidence before the ATF got involved."
Each explosion caused damage to a nearby home. The first device exploded on Christmas Day 2020. The second one went off Jan. 10, 2021, while a woman was inside the home.
"No one expects bomb fragments in the place they call home," members of the woman's family told the judge at the sentencing hearing. "This was traumatic to say the least."
In the arrest affidavit, investigators stated Christensen learned six days after the December pipe bombing that Campbell had allegedly used Christensen's SUV in the Christmas bombing. Christensen then donated the vehicle to a Denver charity.
Christensen also allegedly tried to hide other evidence related to the bombings that existed inside the home they shared in the 3500 block of South Uravan Street in Aurora. However, felony counts of tampering with evidence and accessory to crime were dropped as part of the plea deal.
"This defendant swore an oath to uphold the law," said District Attorney John Kellner. "That does not give him a pass when it comes to being held accountable for his decisions and his actions. I hope this sends a clear message that might deter others who would cavalierly purchase a firearm for a felon."
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Prosecutors asked Judge Stuart to send Christensen to state prison.
"This defendant is clearly aware of the law but is not always willing to follow the law," Chief Deputy District Attorney Laura Wilson said. "Every citizen has to follow the law – especially a 20-year police officer…There needs to be punishment for his actions."
Campbell pleaded guilty last month to attempted murder and a weapons charge. He was sentenced to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Campbell spent time in DOC a decade ago after violating probation for an attempted robbery.
