Graffiti Tagger Kiko Sentenced


QUEENS---Kiko, a 28-year-old Manhattan resident and one of New York City's more notorious graffiti taggers, has been sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the City and business and home owners whose property he damaged.

"The defendant, an admitted graffiti tagger, has now been punished for vandalizing the Astoria and Long Island City sections of Queens County and leaving in his wake thousands of dollars in damages to private and public properties", Queens district attorney Richard Brown said. "Among the locations 'tagged' by the defendant were overpasses, trucks, walls, gates, garage doors, roof shingles and even trees. In addition to having to pay for the damage he caused, the defendant will now spend six months behind bars reflecting upon that which he has done. Hopefully, he has learned his lesson."

Oliver Siandre, aka Kiko, of 100 West 92nd Street in Manhattan pleaded guilty on Oct.19, to three counts of second-degree criminal mischief, two counts of third-degree criminal mischief and one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief before Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron. In addition to sentencing the defendant to jail and ordering him to make restitution, Justice Kron also sentenced the defendant to five years' probation.

According to Brown, in pleading guilty, Kiko admitted that, between September and December 2005, he spray painted his tag name "Kiko" and his crew's name "Crazy 8" or "C8" on various public and private properties in Queens County - including a wall at St. Demetrios Greek American School, located at 30-03 30th Drive in Astoria; pillars, a tree and the ground inside Athens Square Park, located at 30th Avenue and 30th Street in Astoria; the garage door of the Powhattan Regular Democratic Club, located at 41-05 Newton Road in Long Island City; and a Metropolitan Transit Authority overpass.
12-07-06