Brighton man sentenced after ‘gun incident’ at Gaylord Resort

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A Brighton man was sentenced to 90 months, or 7 and a half years, in prison and four years of supervised release after a 2023 “gun incident” injured a bystander at the Gaylord Resort in Aurora.

On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced the sentencing for Sonny Perez , 33, who pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

The attorney’s office said Perez had a prior felony conviction that prohibited him from possessing ammunition.

“Felons should be on notice — they will face long sentences if they continue to arm themselves,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “I thank our partners for joining us in the fight to keep guns and ammunition out of the hands of felons and drugs off our streets.”

According to the plea agreement, the incident took place on May 29, 2023, at the Gaylord hotel, where Perez was planning to sell methamphetamine.

The attorney’s office said security footage showed Perez leaving the hotel with his hand in his pocket, and then witnesses outside the hotel said they heard a loud sound and saw someone with blood dripping down their leg.

The person, described as a bystander, received medical treatment for a gunshot wound.

The attorney’s office said investigators later traced Perez back to his house, where they found narcotics, evidence of drug distribution and ammunition.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the RAVEN Task Force, and the Aurora Police Department handled the investigation.

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