A 22-year-old man who lead a deadly Denver street gang pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will be sentenced to 95 years in prison, the district attorney’s office said Monday.
Angel Adrian “Taz” Espinoza lead the gang “2D$,” also known as Too Damn Smooth, Too Damn Self-Made or Too Damn Styling, and was one of 13 members indicted on 254 felonies ranging from murder to robbery in March 2023, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
Espinoza was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder, court records show.
Espinoza on Monday pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, the DA’s office said.
Prosecutors identified more than 200 victims of 2D$, including Paul Baca Sr., who was fatally shot in Denver on Jan. 22, 2021.
“Angel Espinoza was the leader of a brutal criminal organization that terrorized neighborhoods on the west side of Denver and showed no regard for human life,” Denver District Attorney John Walsh said in a statement. “The city is safer now that he will be off the streets, effectively for the rest of his life.”
An attorney for Espinoza could not immediately be reached for comment.
The terms of Espinoza’s plea deal includes a 95-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections. The sentencing hearing is set for May 22.
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