By Associated Press
DENVER -- A Denver man convicted of placing raw chicken in his ex-wife's heating ducts and other acts of vandalism could face up to 18 years in prison.
KDVR-TV reports that 58-year-old Ronald Smith also poured an unknown substance into a baby grand piano and erased a hard drive on his ex-wife's computer.
Authorities say the vandalism caused thousands of dollars of damage.
The station reports a Denver jury deliberated for about six hours Wednesday before finding Smith guilty of second-degree burglary and criminal mischief.
7News reports that Smith was a state lobbyist who was hosting a fundraiser for then-Mayor John Hickenloooper on the night the vandalism occurred, at which, he arrived late and stayed only briefly, according to the arrest affidavit.
According to The Denver Post, this vandalism was not the only time Smith had been harassing his ex-wife. According to prosecutors, Smith had been sending her threatening e-mails and text messages, had been seen by Young peering into her bedroom window where she and her then-boyfriend were sleeping, and even went so far as to post a "death notice" on the backdoor of Young's home that falsely alerted anyone coming to the house that Young had died.
And although Smith's defense tried to blame all the vandalism on Young herself, the jury found Smith guilty on all counts, CBSDenver reports.