JeffCo contractor gets 10 years in prison for exposing Arvada neighborhood to asbestos

A 55-year-old man was sentenced Friday to a decade in prison for defrauding an elderly woman and exposing an Arvada neighborhood to “hazardous asbestos contamination,” according to the Colorado Attorney General’s office.

A Jefferson County jury found Lance Slayton guilty in November of three felonies: exploitation of an at-risk elder, theft from an at-risk elder and intentionally causing a hazardous substance incident. He was also found guilty on two counts of violating the Air Quality Control Act, both misdemeanors, according to court records.

Slayton was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison each for criminal exploitation of an at-risk elder and theft from an at-risk elder, four years in prison for the hazardous substance charge and just under five years for his violations of the Air Quality Control Act, the Attorney General’s office said in a news release.

The sentences will be served concurrently.

State officials said the charges stemmed from Slayton’s work as a contractor at a fire-damaged rental property in 2022.

Slayton was paid more than $70,000 to restore and abate asbestos inside the property after testing confirmed the known carcinogen was present in the fire-damaged fourplex, according to state officials.

Instead, state investigators said Slayton used unlicensed laborers, improperly removed and dumped the cancer-causing insulator and failed to complete the project, leaving the property unsafe.

The investigation, led by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, found “significant violations of air quality regulations, placing workers and nearby residents at risk of asbestos exposure,” the news release stated.

“This sentencing holds Slayton accountable for the harm he caused — not just to the victim he defrauded, but also to the workers and neighbors he put in danger,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in the release. “By prioritizing profit over people, he violated the trust of a vulnerable property owner and knowingly exposed others to a dangerous carcinogen. Our office will continue to prosecute those who exploit older Coloradans and disregard public health and safety.”

How much Slayton owes the community in monetary restitution will be decided in an April 10th hearing, according to court records. Prosecutors are seeking a total of $85,000.

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