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Officials expected to combine fraud cases against local businesswoman

John Colson
Post Independent staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado – A local interior designer accused of defrauding her clients out of thousands of dollars gets not one, but two days in court this week.

Shawnee Ryan, 53, appeared briefly in Garfield District Court on Wednesday, in what was to have been a formal reading of new charges against her.

She is to appear again in court today, when judicial officials are expected to combine the two cases that now exist against her.



Ryan was arrested in May, following a year-long investigation by police and the DA’s office, and charged with defrauding a number of clients of her interior design businesses.

According to investigators, Ryan operated interior design businesses in Glenwood Springs and Basalt under several names dating back to at least 2007, including Duir Design, Glenwood Design Center, Interiors by You and Mid-Valley Blinds and Spreads.



According to court documents and officials, approximately 40 people claim to have been “victimized” by Ryan’s allegedly deceptive business practices.

Ryan allegedly provided customers with cheaper products than what they had paid for and kept the difference, or clients simply never received the products at all. In some instances, orders were never placed and Ryan pocketed the cash, according to investigators.

Earlier this month, as she was awaiting a hearing on the initial charges, Ryan was arrested a second time on additional allegations that included fraud by check and violation of bail bond conditions.

She currently is free on a bond of $38,000, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Department.

jcolson@postindependent.com


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