Others who think they may be victims call police in missing lawyer case

Marilyn Robinson, Special to the Rocky

Published May 12, 2007 at midnight

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More people who believe they may have been victimized by missing Breckenridge lawyer Royal "Scoop" Daniel III have surfaced, Assistant Breckenridge Police Chief Greg Morrison said Friday.

"We have had more potential victims who have contacted us," Morrison said.

There were a couple of new cases, he said, but he didn't know how much money was involved in the latest complaints.

A source told the Rocky Mountain News that as much as $1.5 million that Daniel controlled could be unaccounted for.

Daniel, 61, vanished April 27 and faces felony theft charges.

He is accused in an arrest warrant of playing a shell game with more than $500,000 of his clients' money. Investigators said he apparently was using money left in escrow by real estate investors to cover his expenses and other investors.

Daniel has friends in Brazil, and there has been talk that he might have fled there.

Morrison said Breckenridge police have had discussions with the Justice Department about their options, "but you have to have specific information someone is in another country to get the Justice Department involved. We have no specific information."

Daniel vanished from his office, leaving behind his dog. Also missing are his laptop computer, his passport and a 1979 Kawasaki motorcycle.

Daniel, a divorced father of eight, moved to Breckenridge in 1995 from the Washington, D.C., area. His popularity was unquestioned.

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