Deputy District Attorney and Major Cases prosecutor Lynzi Maas was honored with the Prosecutor of the Year Award by the Colorado Drug Investigators Association (CDIA). Maas was nominated by the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force (NCDTF) for her trailblazing work on cases of fentanyl distribution causing death as well as dedicated narcotics prosecution.

CDIA President Matthew Stoneberger presented the award, reading NCDTF Commander Lt. Hertz’s nomination on Maas’s profound impact on the prosecution of fentanyl cases in Colorado. “DDA Maas’s willingness to prosecute, her expert legal knowledge, her relationships with detectives of the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force and each of the member agencies, and her appropriately aggressive approach has made the Eighth Judicial District a leader in charging under the new law.”

Maas, whose Major Cases position was created in 2022 through a grant from the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners, was instrumental in securing the state’s first guilty plea for fentanyl distribution causing death. She is the lead prosecutor on two other cases with the same charge. “Targeting the dealers killing members of our community with fentanyl has been a priority for our office,” says District Attorney Gordon P. McLaughlin. “Deputy Maas's work has led the state as a model for holding the worst actors accountable and finding justice for victims.”

The recognition was not limited to these cases, however, and recognized her excellent narcotics and drug trafficking prosecution, all while managing a caseload of complex, major cases. Beyond the courtroom, Maas has spent significant time educating law enforcement and other prosecutors on the shifting landscape of narcotics prosecution.

As one colleague commented, “Lynzi is a phenomenal prosecutor and pours her heart and soul into seeking justice for this community. She is a hard worker and a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom.”

In accepting the award, Maas recognized how crucial her partnerships with law enforcement are. “Everything I could achieve this year has only been possible because of the extraordinary work they do. The work they do is paramount to making Colorado not only a leader in drug prosecution, but a great place to live.”