Lionel Harris

Bernard Jackson

Investigators suspect two former University of Colorado football players arrested last month in connection with an armed robbery smoked marijuana days earlier with the victims in the home they’re accused of burglarizing, a prosecutor revealed Tuesday.

Detectives are investigating whether Bernard Jackson and Lionel Harris were plotting to steal from “small-time drug dealers” in the University Hill area by visiting their victims first, then returning later to rob them, prosecutor Amy Okubo said during a hearing in Boulder District Court.

“There are allegations (Jackson and Harris) were in the home days earlier smoking with them,” Okubo said, offering some of the first details of the Boulder Police Department’s investigation into the June 5 home-invasion-style robbery.

Following the robbery, Okubo noted, police found a small amount of marijuana in the victims’ apartment, located in the 1000 block of University Avenue.

Former safety Harris and Jackson, CU’s starting quarterback in 2006, were arrested in late June, weeks after the robbery. The suspects, both 23, are accused of entering the apartment wearing masks similar to those worn in the “Scream” movies, Okubo said.

Inside, the two men are accused of confronting the residents with handguns, demanding the “keys to a safe” and fleeing the scene with less than $500, police and prosecutors allege.

Based on the theory that Jackson and Harris were targeting people selling drugs, Okubo told Boulder County Judge Diane R. MacDonald that detectives are investigating whether the former Buffs are connected to other crimes in the University Hill area.

“There were a number of similar burglaries just like this,” Okubo said.

Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley said she couldn’t discuss the case because it’s still under investigation.

“It’s a very active and open case, and we don’t anticipate wrapping it up in the immediate future,” Huntley said Tuesday.

Bond dispute

Both Harris and Jackson have been charged with 15 criminal counts, most of which are felonies. They’ve been held at the Boulder County Jail since their arrests on $250,000 bond. Tuesday, Harris’ attorney challenged that dollar figure and requested a reduction. Jackson has not sought a change in his bond status.

Defense attorney Alex Garlin argued that his client’s quarter-million-dollar bond isn’t fair because it’s not in line with bond amounts set for similar charges in Boulder and neighboring counties.

“The alleged circumstances here, I don’t think, give rise to anything in the neighborhood of the bond that’s been set,” Garlin said.

And, he said, the victims — both CU students — haven’t identified his client as being involved the night of the crime.

“It’s neither appropriate or necessary to keep him incarcerated,” Garlin said.

Prosecutor Okubo acknowledged that the victims did not identify Harris — but his codefendant did.

When Jackson was arrested, Okubo said, he told police he was with Harris and offered details about what happened.

Okubo said a steep bond is appropriate in this case because the crime was “exceedingly scary.” Judge MacDonald said she agreed, and refused to reduce Harris’ bond.

“It’s an appropriate bond for this case in our community,” MacDonald said.

Details of the crime

MacDonald said some of the details about the crime played a role in her decision to keep Harris’ bond at $250,000.

For instance, prosecutor Okubo said, Jackson and Harris — both allegedly wearing “Scream” masks — are suspected of entering the apartment through a partially open door, pointing a gun at one of the victims and demanding a “key to a safe.”

When one of the victims couldn’t find the key, his roommate was ordered — with a gun to his temple — to find it, Okubo said. Police reported that, at one point, one of the alleged robbers started shouting, “Where are the pills? Where are the pills?”

As the victims were struggling to find the key, Okubo said, police reported that one of the suspects began yelling, “Come on,” “Let’s go” and, “Let’s get out of here.”

One of the victims told detectives that “his knees were shaking, he was so terrified,” Okubo told the judge. The victims have declined interview requests from the Camera.

“We believe this is an extremely dangerous episode,” the prosecutor said. “And the victims are terrified there will be retribution if they get out.”