Wheat Ridge Brewery Founder Grant Babb Indicted on Eight Felony Fraud Counts

Grant Babb, a 46-year-old former partner in Live Slow Brewing, has been indicted for defrauding investors in a business that never opened its doors in Wheat Ridge. The grand jury returned eight felony counts of securities fraud against Babb on October 6. He is currently free on a $25,000 bond and is representing himself in the case.

Babb and business partner Joe Malouff announced plans for Live Slow Brewing in 2021. The venture was designed as a beer and bowling concept located at the former Paramount Bowl at 2625 Kipling St. The pair leased 11,000 square feet of space for the project. Malouff has not been charged in the current case.

According to the indictment, Babb solicited and received $1,945,000 from 12 investors. These funds were raised through two separate capital calls in 2022 and 2023. The first round totaled $1.4 million, and the second totaled $545,000. Prosecutors allege that many investors in the first round were unaware that Babb was raising additional funds in the second round.

The Colorado Attorney General’s Office claims Babb told investors he had personally contributed $50,000 to the project. That statement was untrue. Prosecutors further allege that Babb used money from his previous business, Joyride Brewing in Edgewater, to fund the Live Slow startup. This embezzlement occurred from January 2022 through November 2023. Joyride later sued Babb for theft, a dispute that was settled out of court.

Live Slow Brewing missed multiple projected opening dates due to delays and financial issues. By the fall of 2023, the business was out of funds. Babb admitted to investors that their money was depleted and that he had used their capital for personal use and to repay the money he had taken from Joyride. In total, Babb is accused of spending $555,000 of investor cash on purposes other than the Live Slow business. This includes $410,000 used to repay the Joyride debt.

The indictment lists seven named investor victims whose identities are redacted. These investors lost between $50,000 and $500,000 each. Babb faces one fraud count for each victim, plus a charge for engaging in a course of business that operated as a fraud. An investor named Alan Simons is also currently suing Babb in a separate civil action.

Babb lives in the Athmar Park neighborhood of Denver. He works in sales for a major chemical distribution company. The Live Slow location remains at 2625 Kipling St. in Wheat Ridge.