Jury seated for burglary case Man accused of conspiring to rob several homes
By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer
June 13, 2002
A jury was seated Wednesday for the trial of a Ohio man suspected of conspiring to
burglarize several Boulder County mountain homes.
Robert John Foltin, 33, faces felony charges of conspiracy to commit burglary and
first-degree burglary and two charges of second-degree burglary. He has remained
in the Boulder County Jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond since his arrest in December.
Prosecutors say Foltin was a willing participant in the robbery of three homes in the
Sugarloaf area between Dec. 29 and 30, one of which resulted in the sexual assault
of a young woman as her parents were bound to chairs with packing tape.
Nathan Melikidse — whom Foltin reportedly met in Reno, Nev., and later drove to
Colorado with — is charged with sexually assaulting the woman and holding her
family at gunpoint in their Sugarloaf Road home. His trial is set for Sept. 30.
Boulder County sheriff's deputies reported finding Foltin in the passenger seat of a
stolen 1988 Acura Legend parked outside the Sugarloaf home after receiving a 911
call from inside the house. He is not suspected of entering the residence, deputies
said.
Prosecutor D.D. Mallard said Foltin helped with the two other burglaries and was
acting as a lookout for Melikidse at the Sugarloaf Road home.
"There was an agreement between Mr. Foltin and Mr. Melikidse to commit these
crimes," Mallard said.
Foltin's attorney, Scott McComas, disagreed.
"Mere presence at a scene of a crime with the perpetrator is not sufficient to establish
... conspiracy," McComas argued.
The jury of six men and six women was whittled down from a pool of 22. Opening
statements are scheduled for this morning, and the trial is expected to run through
Friday.
Contact reporter Christine Reid at (303) 473-1355 or reidc@thedailycamera.com.
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