Man sentenced to prison after May 2023 shooting at Gaylord Rockies Resort

DENVER – A Brighton man has been sentenced to 90 months in prison in connection with a shooting at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in May 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced Wednesday.

Sonny Perez, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of narcotics containing fentanyl and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to 90 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

According to the agreement, Perez went to the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center on May 29, 2023, to sell drugs. Security cameras captured Perez leaving the hotel with his right hand in his pocket.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said people outside the hotel reported hearing a “loud noise” and seeing a man with blood dripping down his leg. The man was treated for a gunshot wound to his leg.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said investigators tracked Perez to his home, where they found narcotics, evidence of drug distribution and ammunition. Perez had previously been convicted of a felony and was not allowed to possess ammunition.

“Criminals need to be aware – they will face lengthy sentences if they continue to arm themselves,” Matt Kirsch, acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, said in a statement. “I thank our partners for joining us in the fight to keep guns and ammunition out of the hands of criminals and drugs off our streets.”

“Violent, illegally armed, drug-trafficking criminals pose a persistent and serious danger to innocent civilians around the world,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers said in a statement. “ATF, working closely with the Aurora Police Department and the RAVEN Task Force, relentlessly pursue these violent criminals every day with the full force of local, state and federal law enforcement resources.