A jury on Tuesday afternoon convicted a former Arapahoe County social worker accused of making up a child abuse claim against an Aurora City Council member in an act of retaliation after the local leader criticized her girlfriend.
Robin Niceta was found guilty of both charges she faced: attempt to influence a public servant and false reporting of child abuse. She's set for sentencing at 11 a.m. on Jan. 19 and faces up to six years in prison, according to prosecutors.
Niceta Filed the False Complaint After the Councilwoman Called Her Girlfriend 'Trash'
Niceta's arrest in 2022 came after an anonymous phone tip called into the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services suggested that Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky might have sexually abused her young son. Caseworkers investigated and found that Jurinsky did nothing wrong and closed the case.
Court documents show the anonymous call was traced to Niceta, who at the time was dating the now-former Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson. Niceta was accused of making the call the day after Jurinsky criticized Wilson while speaking on a podcast, calling her "trash," according to court documents.
Niceta Claimed Jurinsky Abused Her Son in the Bathroom of Her Restaurant
On Monday, the jury heard the audio recording of that call. In it, the caller claimed to have witnessed Jurinsky abusing her son in the bathroom of a restaurant that Jurinsky owned. However, investigators cleared Jurinsky of any wrongdoing and traced the call to Niceta.
During closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutors pointed to an electronic trail of evidence they said tied Niceta to the crime. They told jurors that the call was made from Niceta's own cellphone and that searches were done on her work computer, which required a two-factor authentication to log on.
Niceta Faked Cancer to Delay Trial
Prosecutors allege that as Niceta's case was working its way through the court system, Niceta supplied medical records and MRI images to the court suggesting she was suffering from cancerous brain tumors and could not appear in court. Investigators later concluded the records and images were falsified. Niceta is on the court docket for December 1st, 2023 on these charges.
