Colorado men accused of taking dead friend for a ride
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The movie “Weekend at Bernie’s†is a comedy. Two men arrive at the beach home of their boss, Bernie Lomax, only to find him dead. For reasons we won’t get into, they put sunglasses on Bernie, prop him up on a couch and drag him around to make everyone believe he’s alive. There’s a hit man involved, and a pretty woman. Hilarity ensues.
Trying to re-create the movie in real life? Not so entertaining. Actually, it’s criminal.
Just ask Robert Young, 43, and Mark Rubinson, 25. Denver prosecutors have charged them with abusing a corpse, identity theft and criminal impersonation after they allegedly drove around town with their dead friend, Jeffrey Jarrett, and used his ATM card.
Both men have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court in coming weeks, the Denver district attorney’s office told The Times.
Young was staying with his college friend Jarrett, 43, the Denver Post reported. When Young arrived home about 11 p.m. on Aug. 27, he found Jarrett unresponsive. It’s unclear exactly how Jarrett died, or when. But instead of calling 911, Young went to get Rubinson, who helped load Jarrett’s body into his Lincoln Navigator, Rubinson told police.
With the body in the back seat, Young and Rubinson stopped at restaurants, first Teddy T’s, where they drank for about an hour and a half, and Sam’s No. 3, court papers said. During this time, Young told police, ‘it was obvious’ that Jarrett was dead.
Then they allegedly drove Jarrett home, placed him in a bed and continued the party with his bank card. The men ate at Viva Burrito, the paper said, and withdrew $400 from an ATM at a strip club named Shotgun Willie’s.
About 4 a.m., five hours after Young found Jarrett, the men flagged down a police officer at the strip club and told him: Our buddy might be dead.
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--Ashley Powers in Las Vegas
Twitter.com/ashleypowers