Lindsay Salas was hired for a $188,000 Behavioral Health Administration leadership job while being investigated for stealing from a donor at her previous job.
DENVER — The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration fired a high-paid employee Friday afternoon after it learned that she was hired while under investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office for allegedly stealing nearly $100,000 from a nonprofit she used to lead.
Lindsay Salas was hired by the BHA in November for a leadership position paying $188,000 annually. At the time of her hiring, the Attorney General’s Office was already investigating her for alleged theft during her previous employment at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Adams and Broomfield Counties, a nonprofit organization.
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According to the Attorney General’s Office complaint, a donor to CASA had agreed to fund Salas’ master’s degree tuition at the University of Denver. Prosecutors allege Salas ran a scheme in which she had the donor overpay her tuition or make payments when no balance was owed. When the university identified a surplus in her account, it refunded the money directly to Salas. The alleged theft totaled $99,000 between 2023 and 2024.
Salas was on leave at CASA in 2025 when the nonprofit conducted an internal investigation into the tuition payments. She resigned before that investigation was completed.
When Salas applied for her state position, she checked a box saying she did not want her previous employer contacted. On her application, she listed her reason for leaving CASA “to focus on next leadership opportunity.”
The current CEO of CASA, Vickie Ricord, told 9NEWS that CASA has had no communication with BHA. Had the state reached out, Ricord said she would not have been able to discuss the internal investigation but would have told them Salas was not eligible for rehire.
How did the state hire an employee when the state was investigating her?
The Attorney General’s Office, which is an independent department from the rest of state government, said its investigations are confidential.
“It is not our practice to inform employers if an employee is subject of an investigation,” the office told 9NEWS.
As part of the Attorney General’s Office investigation, Salas agreed to pay back $66,000, not the full $99,000. A spokesperson told 9NEWS the repayment amount is determined based on the individual’s ability to pay. However, if Salas misses any payment deadlines, she will owe $125,000.
CASA also forwarded its internal investigation to the 17th Judicial District D.A.’s Office, which could still consider criminal charges against Salas.
A spokesman for the governor’s office deflected not knowing about the investigation.
“While these events occurred before the employee worked at the agency, BHA is reviewing this matter carefully and the Governor has directed a full review to confirm that best hiring practices were followed. As soon as the agency found out about the investigation, which was April 22, 2026, the employee was placed on administrative leave and has since been terminated from the position. The BHA did conduct a background check during the hiring process, which did not reveal anything concerning.”
When asked if that background check included contacting the former employer, the governor’s spokesman admitted it was just a criminal background check.