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A former Colorado social worker, who is facing a criminal trial for allegedly filing a false child abuse report against a local elected official, was arrested on new charges for allegedly forging a brain cancer diagnosis to reportedly get out of appearing in court.
Robin Niceta, a former Arapahoe County social worker, has been arrested on 10 new charges, including forgery and tampering with physical evidence and multiple counts of conspiracy to attempt to influence a public servant, Denver 7 reported.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office filed the indictment Friday. Niceta was arrested the same day in New Mexico, where she has been living in recent months, and is awaiting extradition to Colorado.
The former social worker gained local and national attention more than a year ago when a warrant for her arrest was issued after she reportedly called an anonymous tip line to report Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky for molesting her own 2-year-old son.
Booking photo of former Colorado social worker Robin Niceta. (Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office)
Niceta allegedly filed the tip after Jurinsky appeared on a local radio show where she made negative comments about the now-former Aurora police chief. Unbeknownst to Jurinsky, the police chief was Niceta’s girlfriend at the time.
Local law enforcement cleared the councilwoman of any wrongdoing in the case and determined the tip against Jurinsky was made from Niceta’s personal cell phone.
Niceta subsequently was hit with a felony count of suspicion of attempting to influence a public servant and a misdemeanor count of making a false report about child abuse.
As the court case proceeded, Niceta’s attorney claimed in March her client was not fit to stand trial and asked to delay proceedings due to an alleged brain cancer diagnosis.
Jurinsky sounded the alarm that the claim was bunk and Niceta was "lying," which came to a head in May when Niceta’s attorney withdrew from the case, and her new attorney told the judge the former social worker was in fact fit to stand trial.
Official government photo of Aurora, Colorado, Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky. (City of Aurora)
COLORADO COUNCILWOMAN SAYS ‘POLITICAL ATTACK’ BY SOCIAL WORKER UNLEASHED TROVES OF OTHER ALLEGATIONS
"[Niceta has been] lying, manipulating and abusing her power for years and years and years," Jurinsky told Fox News Digital in May. "And she thought she conjured up a way to also get past" her trial.
Niceta and her mother even appeared on a Zoom interview with CBS Colorado in April, when Niceta "waved weakly one time" at the camera but "did not speak and appeared to be in a stupor," according to the report. Jurinsky told Fox News Digital earlier this year that Niceta "drooled" on herself during a legal Zoom call to sell the ruse that she was terminally ill.
Now, an indictment released Friday shows more details into Niceta’s medical records.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office was unable to verify the identity of a doctor Niceta named as her physician, "Dr. C. Marquez," or anyone by that name as a licensed doctor in the state of New Mexico, Denver 7 reported.
More of the same unfolded as investigators looked to verify a New Mexico health clinic where Niceta was allegedly receiving cancer treatment.
Niceta’s previous attorney said her client was receiving care at a clinic called "New Mexico Oncology," but the DA’s office could only find a Facebook page and website for the alleged clinic that were both created in January 2023. The Facebook page had no activity following its creation in January, according to the local outlet.
Photo shows Arapahoe County CentrePoint Plaza where the Arapahoe County Department of Human Services is located. (Google Maps)
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office also investigated the alleged clinic, and found that a phone number connected to the medical center was directed to a prepaid, no-contract TracFone account. A subpoena uncovered that the TracFone number was being paid by a credit card allegedly owned by Janice Dudley, Niceta’s mother. Niceta was also listed as an authorized user of the credit card, Denver 7 reported.
An investigator who tried to verify the physical location of "New Mexico Oncology" turned up empty-handed, with the owner of the building listed as the location of the clinic telling the investigator "there has never been a business named 'New Mexico Oncology Associates' in the building."
Additionally, the DA’s office asked a Colorado doctor to assess MRI documents that were submitted in court, who determined the images were likely taken from an internet search and "photoshopped."
Niceta's mom, Janice Dudley, was also indicted for her alleged involvement and a warrant for her arrest was issued.
Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District in Centennial, Colorado. (Google Maps )
Prosecutors say Niceta forged medical documents as an "elaborate attempt to avoid prosecution through the fabrication of medical records."
Niceta went "so far as to create fraudulent medical records and MRIs is clearly indicative of bad character. There is simply no innocent explanation for the behavior," prosecutors added, according to CBS Colorado.
Niceta is set to stand trial over filing the alleged phony child abuse report on Aug. 1.
"Through all of this, I am just hoping to get to court soon. I want my day in court," Jurinsky told Fox News Digital following Niceta’s arrest on Friday.
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Niceta’s new attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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