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Dillen Maurer poses for a photo in October 2021. Maurer lost his foot under mysterious circumstances Sept. 4 near his home in Valdez. Law enforcement are now investigating whether he submitted a false report about the incident.

Courtesy Taos County Sheriff's Office

A Taos County Sheriff's truck sits outside bike frame maker Dillen Maurer's residence on Sept. 4 after Maurer was airlifted to University of New Mexico in Albuquerque for treatment of a severed foot. The sheriff's office has alleged that Maurer made a false report regarding the nature of the amputation and has referred the case to New Mexico State Police for a fraud investigation.

Dillen Maurer poses for a photo in October 2021. Maurer lost his foot under mysterious circumstances Sept. 4 near his home in Valdez. Law enforcement are now investigating whether he submitted a false report about the incident.

Courtesy Taos County Sheriff's Office

A Taos County Sheriff's truck sits outside bike frame maker Dillen Maurer's residence on Sept. 4 after Maurer was airlifted to University of New Mexico in Albuquerque for treatment of a severed foot. The sheriff's office has alleged that Maurer made a false report regarding the nature of the amputation and has referred the case to New Mexico State Police for a fraud investigation.

A popular bike frame maker living in Valdez near Gallina Canyon may face fraud charges since he raised over $18,000 on a GoFundMe page after making what law enforcement officials say was a false report about having lost his foot in a hit-and-run crash with an ATV earlier this month.

After receiving the report of the alleged crash on Sept. 4, a Taos County Sheriff's deputy responded to Dillen Maurer's residence on Gallina Canyon Road and applied a tourniquet to his lower leg. But after Maurer was airlifted to a hospital, an investigation by the sheriff's office found no evidence of the crash Maurer and his family had reported to Taos Central Dispatch, according to Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe.

The sheriff showed photos taken at the scene of the accident to the Taos News on Monday (Sept. 12), which show Maurer's severed foot in a biking shoe lying in the grass in the yard near his house, but not along any trail or near any obvious signs of an ATV or debris that might have been left behind by the crash.

Hogrefe then showed a photo of what he says is likely the most convincing piece of evidence that Maurer severed the foot himself: A bloody chainsaw containing signs of bone and human tissue on the chain and inside the sprocket cover.

"Based on the information they observed and not being able to locate a collision site, witness, or evidence of any collision the investigation remains open at this time," Hogrefe wrote in a press release sent this week, noting that New Mexico State Police has been contacted to open a fraud investigation.

The GoFundMe page Maurer's wife, Jenn Maurer, set up following the incident — with an original goal of $666 — maintains that there was a crash, although updates made to the page over the last week haven't provided evidence to prove the collision took place. "It's now been 8 days since Dillen's accident and we're still no closer to finding out who else was involved," a post from Sept. 12 read. "However, Dillen is moving on with optimism despite all the questions and focusing all the energy he has on physical therapy and rehab."

Maurer is  a former professional cyclist and his company, Baphomet Bicycles, has nearly 6,000 followers on Instagram.

An article published in Cycling Weekly, "Beloved frame builder Dillen Maurer loses foot in accident," said that an interview with Jenn Maurer revealed that her husband "has a history of traumatic brain injury and his recollection is spotty."

"What we know is that around 10:30 in the morning, Dillen was out on a bike ride, which is a very normal Dillen thing to do. But the only thing he remembers from the ride that morning is that he was on his way home and then distinctly remembers a feeling of getting hit and spun around," Jenn Maurer is also quoted saying for the article.

On Wednesday (Sept. 14), the GoFundMe page goal was raised to $250,000.

Jenn Maurer said she raised the amount "because we've begun getting denied by insurance for some essential coverage. Also, I originally set the goal so low because I didn't know if the funds were accessible until the goal was reached. But a friend just told me they heard someone say it was "suspicious" the amount was so low. I feel like no one can win. If you ask for the amount you need, you're greedy. If you ask for 'too little,' it's suspicious."

Speaking with the Taos News on Monday, New Mexico State Police Commander Dominic Lucero, who manages the Taos district, said his office had received the referral to open the fraud investigation, but had not done so as of press time Wednesday.

The Maurers could not be reached for comment as of press time.

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What a sad event and an even more sad outcome. Gofundme is such a great thing, this kind of abuse ruins it.

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