by Mark Smiley

In perhaps a new low, a fake, unlicensed private investigator, Charles Johnson, was flown in from Nashville, Tennessee, to go to the homes and businesses of citizens of Glendale, Denver and Lakewood, who had all made remarks quoted in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle that might be deemed critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi, the principal owner of the Authentic Persian and Oriental Rugs store and his proposed massive 50- to 60-story high rise condo project on Colorado Boulevard abutting Cherry Creek (See Chronicle, March 2016, “Wealthy Rug Merchants Plans Exposed”).

Harassment And Stalking

Various citizens from Glendale, Denver and Lakewood called the police complaining about the ongoing harassment and stalking from Johnson. He apparently is not licensed either in Colorado or Tennessee to conduct private investigations. Johnson even went to the private residence of Glendale City Clerk Sherry Frame and tried to obtain access into her complex.

Johnson Arrested

Johnson was arrested at 5:10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Advantage Rent-A-Car trying to flee back to Nashville via an early morning plane flight. According to the police report obtained by the Chronicle through an open records request, Johnson stated “he was ‘hired’ by a female writer in Denver Colorado to conduct interviews with people who recently provided interviews to the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle regarding Glendale 180 . . . .” and later stated he was under contract with an “individual female writer/ journalist in the local area.” Johnson repeatedly refused to say who the individual was who hired him saying “she may want to get an attorney” and he had signed a non-disclosure agreement with the woman.

To some, the description appeared to perfectly fit Jeanne Price (see Chronicle, Feb. 2016, page 1, “Persian Rug merchants have Denverite Jeanne Price Digging Hard for Dirt”), who at different times has described herself as a reporter, writer, freelance columnist and senior researcher.

Calls by the Chronicle to Ms. Price inquiring whether she had contracted with or knew Charles Johnson were not returned. Price sits next to Kheirkhahi at Glendale City Council meetings and is believed to be employed by Kheirkhahi or his affiliated entities. Calls to Kheirkhahi from the Chronicle were also not returned. Legal experts indicate that individuals who knowingly contract with another to break the law may in some instances be charged themselves.

Scare Citizens

If the purpose of Johnson’s trip was to scare and intimidate citizens critical of the Persian rug merchants from talking with the media and in particular the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, he was successful at least partially.

Trish Abbott had published in the Chronicle a communication critical of the Kholghys (the in-laws of Kheirkhahi) in the December 2015 “We Get Letters . . .” He attempted to harass her at her former address and at her current one although she repeatedly told him she did not want to speak with him.

Abbott filed a harassment complaint against Johnson with the Glendale Police. The police report indicates that Abbott was clearly concerned that someone could find her address and track her down simply because of what she had said in a newspaper article. Abbott told the police “she would never make a statement or go on record for a paper again.”

Johnson asserted to the police that he tried to access the City Clerk’s complex because he did not want to meet with her in her office at City Hall. According to the police report, he indicated that “in his experience when he wants to talk with people they usually do not like to do so at their place of employment.”

Harassed At Work

That concept apparently did not apply to Richard Witholder who works in Lakewood. In a statement filed in Glendale and to be filed with the Lakewood police, Johnson showed up at Witholder’s place of employment in Lakewood, where he is the manager of a restaurant. An employee told him that a male was in the restaurant demanding to speak to “Richard.” When Witholder came out he declared that “I’m investigating your quotes you made in the [Glendale] Cherry Creek Chronicle” and insisted that Witholder sit down for an interview. When Witholder repeatedly refused he handed him his card and told him to call him.

Witholder immediately contacted the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle which indicated he should contact the police if he felt threatened. Witholder then contacted the Glendale police and arranged for a meeting with Johnson at the Starbucks in Glendale where Witholder hoped the threatening Johnson would be arrested.

At the same time Johnson had been harassing Glendale resident Douglas Stiff about his quotes. Stiff also contacted the Glendale police and immediately arranged to meet with Johnson at Carve Restaurant in Glendale. Because of statements made at the meeting with Stiff, the Glendale Police were able to determine whether Johnson was acting in the capacity of a private investigator in violation of Colorado law. Johnson never showed up for the meeting with Witholder.

Johnson was later arrested for acting as a private investigator in Colorado without a license in violation of C.R.S. Sec. 12-58.5-101. If convicted he is subject to being incarcerated for up to one year and/or up to a $1,000 fine. Witholder hopes that Lakewood will also file charges against Johnson when he returns to Colorado.

According the police report Johnson was carrying active drivers licenses from three different states — Hawaii, Florida and Tennessee. Most states make it a crime to possess more than one driver’s license at the same time. See Cal. V.C. Section 12511. It is not known whether Johnson when he returns to Colorado to face charges on not possessing a private investigators license whether he will also face charges of possessing drivers licenses from multiple states.

Giving False Information

The somewhat crude business cards handed out by Johnson in Colorado were printed at a angle and with an address of 3200 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 without a suite number. That address is a large office building at which he is not listed. He provided his home address to the Glendale Police as 2479 Murfreesboro Road, 222 Nashville, Tennessee 37217 which the Chronicle determined to be a UPS store.

The office phone listed on his card appears to be simply part of a general voicemail system. The cell phone number listed on the card may be to a so called “burner phone.” A burner phone is a prepaid device used specially for one purpose and then disposed. Burner phones are used for various purposes including by persons engaged in potentially illegal activities who do not want their phone to be traced back to them. The Chronicle called both numbers and left messages asking Johnson to call back. Both phone numbers went automatically into voice mail. The Chronicle did not receive any return calls from Johnson.

Unbowed And Unafraid

But if Johnson and his yet to be named employers here in Colorado were hoping to cower all citizens critical of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi and his affiliated entities they were unsuccessful. As noted above, Johnson tried to contact Douglas Stiff who both lives and works in Glendale. When Johnson harassed him in both locations Stiff not only contacted the Glendale Police but assisted with a face to face meeting which helped confirm to the Glendale Police that Johnson was engaged in illegal activities.

But more than that, Stiff was incensed by the actions of Mohammad Ali Kheirkhahi. “To get a massi ve high rise condo building in violation of Glendale’s zoning laws and Master Plan Mohammad forced our African American citizens who wanted to attend a City Council meeting to run a gauntlet set up by a racist para military unit of the Oath Keepers outside the door to City Hall,” said Stiff. “To intimidate the Hispanics in our community he brought in anti-immigration zealot Tom Tancredo wearing a Border Patrol hat. Now to silence Mohammad’s critics quoted in the Chronicle, someone hired an illegal private investigator who harasses me and others. If Mohammad and Jeanne Price are behind Johnson I hope they are fully prosecuted along with Johnson.”

But Stiff does not intend to be passive. “I am going to apply to be on the Planning Commission to be a voice in our community for upholding our zoning and Master Plan so that we don’t get projects like the Tehranian Death Star approved.” Stiff noted, “I know Mohammad’s sister-in-law [Nasrin Kholghy] objects to the mention of “Tehran” and cried on cue for Channel 7 in reference to her home city.”

Stiff pointed out that, “Mohammad’s agents tell the city staff at an openly recorded meeting they want a high rise condo project like those in Tehran and other cities, but after that nobody else is allowed to mention Tehran because to do so is racist or xenophobic or Islamophobic or everything else phobic. These people in my opinion are evil, despicable thugs and I doubt anyone from Hilltop or anywhere else would want to go to the Persian and Oriental Rug store if they found out what these individuals actually do to people and what they plan to do to our community.”

Stiff also indicated that he and some of his friends are considering picketing in front of the store to let people know who they are potentially dealing with and what they in fact want to build on Colorado Boulevard by Cherry Creek.

At the time of press, nobody from the Kheirkhahi team had responded to our inquiries for comment. After The Chronicle had gone to press, Ms. Jeanne Price and Ms. Nasrin Kholghy submitted separate letters denying that anyone from their team had hired Mr. Johnson. Their letters in their entirety are below:

Let us be clear: Our team has not now, nor at any point in the past, hired Charles Johnson as the newspaper irresponsibly hints. We have no need for such tactics and we have always been open about our position.

We also do not have any plans for a 60-story building. We also have nothing to do with this most recent allegation, which seems to be just the latest in a long line of attempts to disparage us, incite fear, inflame bigotry and racism, discourage our customers and try to run us out of business. As these wild accusations and misleading stories continue, our suspicions are growing stronger that this has indeed been the City’s plan for a long time.

Nasrin Kholghy

Let me state emphatically that I DID NOT hire an investigator nor do I need help from an investigator with my research. I have been seeking PUBLIC records from the City of Glendale and evidently that makes someone very uncomfortable at City Hall and/or at this publication. My efforts have been met with a great deal of resistance and now inflated charges for simple requests.

Apparently, this is why I'm being attacked a second time by Mr. Smiley. I'm not sure who is pulling his strings but this is not reporting in any sense of the word. It's harassment, disparagement and intimidation from a so-called newspaper but sadly, it's all we have come to expect from this publication.

Jeanne Price, Denver