FBI Seeks Forfeiture Of $521K+ In Assets Linked To Colorado E‑Bike Retailer Amid Customer Complaints

Colorado's e-bike incentive program was designed to make electric bicycles more affordable by providing instant discounts at participating retailers. Bear Trail Bikes marketed itself as one of the state's best bargains, advertising free or heavily discounted e-bikes through the program and drawing a surge of buyers eager to use the limited-time credits.

Delivery Delays And Growing Complaints

Customers say the company's advertised six- to 12-week delivery window stretched into months for many orders. Complaints accumulated across multiple platforms: the Better Business Bureau, Google Business reviews, Reddit threads and local TV reports. Common themes included lengthy delivery delays, refund disputes, unanswered calls and emails, disconnected phone lines and storefront closures.

Investigations, Lawsuits And Business Disputes

The Better Business Bureau recorded 35 complaints closed against Bear Trail Bikes in the past year, many of which remain marked "unanswered." 9NEWS consumer investigator Steve Staeger documented multiple customer accounts, including one buyer who said she waited 22 weeks without receiving a bike.

Local reporting and court filings show the dispute widened beyond customer complaints. BusinessDen reported that former owners raised concerns about business records after selling the Rifle store to Takuma Keita Owuo-Hagood in 2025 and later sought a restraining order. A former landlord sued over alleged unpaid rent and property damage at a Lakewood storefront. The Denver Post reported a separate $6,000 small-claims suit alleging bait-and-switch advertising and failure to deliver bikes within a reasonable time.

State Program Rules And Reimbursement Delays

Bear Trail Bikes promoted purchases by allowing customers to apply Colorado's e-bike tax credit at checkout. The company said delayed state reimbursements prevented fulfillment. However, the Colorado Energy Office told 9NEWS that retailers in the program are allowed to claim the state tax credit only after an eligible bicycle has been delivered to a customer. Other unrelated retailers have also reported reimbursement delays; CBS Colorado reported one shop awaiting more than $300,000 in payments for completed sales.

FBI Civil Forfeiture Notice

The case recently escalated when an FBI civil forfeiture notice identified more than $521,000 in property linked to Bear Trail Bikes owner Takuma Keita Owuo-Hagood. The notice lists a 2021 Lamborghini Huracán (valued at $258,500), a 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+, a 2024 Range Rover and more than $116,000 across JPMorgan Chase accounts as property subject to forfeiture. The Lamborghini alone represents nearly half of the total listed value.

The forfeiture filing does not explain the specific transactions investigators suspect, why those vehicles and accounts were targeted, or whether any criminal charges will follow.

Context And Current Status

Searching public records also turned up a 2010 New York Times story about Owuo-Hagood appearing near U.S. forces in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan after months in the country; that episode is unrelated to the e-bike business and the forfeiture filing but has been noted in background reporting.

At the time of reporting, Bear Trail Bikes' website remained online and said new free-bike orders were paused while earlier orders were being fulfilled. The company’s social pages appeared removed or inaccessible. The FBI notice is a civil action; it does not by itself establish criminality. Interested parties may challenge a civil forfeiture in court and seek judicial review.

Key takeaway: The forfeiture notice signals a significant escalation in a dispute fueled by widespread customer complaints, delayed deliveries and unresolved financial questions — but it does not by itself prove criminal wrongdoing.