Aspiri is charged with criminal extortion — a class 4 felony — and misdemeanor ethnic intimidation harassment and theft. Aspiri said he had yet to retain an attorney, prompting prosecutors to reschedule his next court appearance to June 8 at his request. Aspiri was arrested by Glenwood Springs police for allegedly attempting to leverage a Latino man’s immigration status as a reason to pay him $1,200, according to a news release. Aspiri also allegedly expressed to the victim that he had the ability to end the careers of local police officers if they became involved. Aspiri was a 2014 Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado for a brief time before being defeated at the GOP Assembly by Cory Gardner, the eventual winner of the seat.