Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in Marijuana Robbery Scheme (J. Binns)

NEWS RELEASE –

March 2, 2018

Contact: Ken Lane, 720-913-9025

FOURTH PERSON INDICTED IN MARIJUANA

ROBBERY SCHEME/MURDER PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDER

The fourth person indicted by a Denver Grand Jury last May in connection with a planned robbery of a marijuana seller that resulted in the murder of the seller and attempted murder of another involved in the planned sale has pleaded guilty.

Joshua Scott Binns (dob: 01-05-1984) pleaded guilty today to 2nd degree murder (F2) and to a crime of violence (sentence enhancer).  He faces a stipulated prison sentence of 40-48 years.  Original first degree murder, felony murder and other charges were dismissed as part of the plea.

Co-defendants Seth Michael Binns (dob: 06-08-1993), Ryan Arellano (dob: 06-05-1992), and Mackenzie Fay (dob: 01-20-1994) each previously pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery (F3) and variously face stipulated prison sentences between 16-32 years.

In November 2016 the four named defendants conspired to rob 50-year-old Charles Polzin of a large amount of marijuana that he wanted to sell. On November 8, 2016, Charles Polzin, his son and his son’s girlfriend drove from Loveland to Denver to meet Joshua Binns to conclude the marijuana sale, and at the arranged time and place of the sale Joshua Binns shot both Charles Polzin and his son, killing Polzin senior and seriously wounding the son.

All four defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on April 20 at 1:30 p.m., in courtroom 5H.

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