Man pleads guilty to more than 900 graffiti markings

By Corina Curry
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
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ROCKFORD — A 22-year-old Rockford man accepted responsibility Monday afternoon for more than $32,000 damage to 245 properties throughout the Rock River Valley in one of the county’s biggest anti-graffiti cases.

Larry Barr, known by his tag name “STER,” pleaded guilty to felony criminal damage to property and burglary and was sentenced to a year in prison followed by four years of probation. He also received 180 days in jail for the burglary, of which he’s already served 65 and won’t have to serve the rest unless he violates his probation.

Barr also is being asked to pay restitution in the amount of $32,148.50, mostly to the city of Rockford, for damage and cleanup costs.

Barr’s style of graffiti is called tagging. Taggers typically come up with a nickname and spray paint or use acid etching solution to leave their names on all types of surfaces, from the sides of buildings and boxcars to street signs and lampposts.

The burglary charge was for a separate incident that Barr was involved in while out of jail on bond earlier this year. Barr admitted Monday that while released on bond from the graffiti charge, he broke into a business and stole tools and medals from a trophy case.

Barr’s family members attended the plea hearing but declined to comment.

Barr said little beyond answering questions that he understood what he was doing by pleading guilty.

He told Judge Joe McGraw that “STER” didn’t have any meaning and it was just random letters that he chose as his name. Graffiti experts say “STER” stands for “stomping towns every round.”

As part of his plea agreement, Barr admitted to using spray paint and acid to put the name “STER” on public and private property throughout Rockford about 900 to 1,000 times since he started 10 years ago and at least 100 times last summer.

He left his moniker on the window of the Rockford Police Department substation on Seventh Street last summer.

Barr is eligible for day-for-day and good-conduct credit on his prison sentence. He also has 31 days’ credit for time already served on that charge.

Staff writer Corina Curry can be reached at 815-987-1395 or ccurry@rrstar.com.