To You Taggers Out There: We Will Have You Prosecuted!
From the Buffalo News…
Graffiti vandalism leads to jail
By Matt Gryta
Buffalo News NEWS STAFF REPORTER
01/15/08
Buffalo graffiti vandal Christopher Fargo was sentenced Monday to up to nine months in jail on his latest graffiti-related arrest, which violated the probation he was granted two years ago.
State Supreme Court Justice Penny M. Wolfgang warned Fargo, 24, of Linwood Terrace, that he faces “much longer” time behind bars if he gets in trouble again.
Fargo was arrested in the Central Terminal on Nov. 11 while allegedly with a group of other graffiti suspects. He has been in jail since his Dec. 13 arraignment.
One of the first vandals seized in a multi- agency crackdown on graffiti throughout the city two years ago, Fargo spent 35 days in jail then before pleading guilty to felony criminal mischief for defacing the Ferguson Electric Construction building.
He was placed on five years’ probation by Wolfgang on July 17, 2006, prohibited from carrying paint cans or shoe polish and ordered to pay Ferguson $360 in restitution.
Assistant Erie County District Attorney Thomas D. Kubiniec, the county’s chief graffiti vandalism prosecutor, said the jobless Fargo pleaded guilty Monday to the probation violation count of failing to lead a law-abiding life and that he still owes the $360 in restitution.
Fargo apologized “to the court, the city and everyone I have harmed.” He said the court-ordered substance-abuse and mental counseling he has been receiving since his Dec. 13 arraignment has helped him accept responsibility for his actions.
But the judge sternly told him that after having given him “a break” two years ago, her fear now is that he “will try to do the same thing again and destroy the property of other people.” Should that happen, she guaranteed he will be sent to state prison instead of the Erie County Correctional Facility, where he will serve out his latest jail term.
Eugene P. Adams, Fargo’s court-assigned attorney, told the judge Fargo remains “despondent” over his latest graffiti- related arrest.
Adams said he has found since representing Fargo that, while graffiti vandals are generally perceived to be hell-bent on just destroying the property of others, there seems to be something of an emotional “impulse” on their part to find a way of “being recognized by society.”
January 17th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Where in the building where they caught?
January 17th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Crucify the SOB!!!
January 18th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
GOOD!!! Idiots like this deserve jail. They don’t care about anyone else and hide behind artistic rights. How about a tattoo on his forehead that says “I’m a moron”? That’s an artistic statement.
January 19th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
The taggers were not caught INSIDE the building, they were caught on the grounds with backpacks full of spray paint. No damage occured, they were caught before they were able to tag anything.
January 20th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Thank god they were caught before those terrorists did some major damage. Gaffiti removal is not cheap and can cost quite a bit of time and cash. A message is being sent that we are getting mad as hell and we will not take it anymore. Throw him in jail for the max. He is lucky because in some country’s like Singapore they would flog you in the public square for being a moron. Certain places in the Middle East and South America would cut your hands off.
He is only sorry because he was caught. Nothing more.I saw the worst when United Railway Historical of New Jersey Society parked their equipment in Morristown, NJ. Equipment was tagged, windows damaged and copper wiring stolen. One passenger car was even burned and probably can’t be slavaged. We are getting sick of this.
January 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Thank god they were caught before those terrorists did some major damage. Gaffiti removal is not cheap and can cost quite a bit of time and cash. A message is being sent that we are getting mad as hell and we will not take it anymore. Throw him in jail for the max. He is lucky because in some country’s like Singapore they would flog you in the public square for being a moron. Certain places in the Middle East and South America would cut your hands off.
He is only sorry because he was caught. Nothing more.I saw the worst when United Railway Historical of New Jersey Society parked their equipment in Morristown, NJ. Equipment was tagged, windows damaged and copper wiring stolen. One passenger car was even burned and probably can’t be salvaged. We are getting sick of this.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Graffiti is art, chris fargo is the tagger known as korps,the city will never get rid of graffiti it is a part of our history,you pepole can rap advertisments a round busses and ti’s okay,that all came from graffit,cut us artists a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I AM A GRAFFITI ARTIST AND I”M PROUD OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KRONE NTA!!!!ALL DAY!!!!
January 21st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Yup, Yet another Koolaid drinker. Sara you know what to do about this guy. Steve, you and your boy Chris are typical trouble makers that this Army Veteran would love to get his hands on and have you charged with the destruction of property thats not yours. Do it to your own homes but don’t let me catch you guys defacing public property that I the tax payer and others pay to clean up especially private property otherwise you will be going to jail for a very long time and trust me, there will be plenty of witnesses tougher then you who will be there to testify at your hearing.
In some countrys you would be flogged in the public square. In somes states like Texas where I was stationed with the military you will be shot for tresspassing.
Oh and by the way I’m also proud to enforce the law and get you bums off the street. BTW I’m a freelance graphic designer and I do know when and where to put my art and when not to especially on property not belonging to you. Looking forward in putting you in a cell soon.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:32 am
These idiots are SCUM and should BE IMPRISONED for the VANDALISM.
Somebody please post these scum personal ADDRESSES so we can “beautify” and “express our artistic freedom” on THEIR property – and see how THEY like it!!!
If they are likely living in someone elses home, their CARS will do…
These SCUM and their IGNORANT DEFENDERS make me sick.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Artists don’t just write their names on walls; four year olds do. Taggers are losers that need to grow up instead of making up names to scrawl all over the city, creating eyesores. If you want to be a wall artist study Diego Rivera instead of reverting back to the habits you had as a toddler. Hopefully you’re not wetting the bed too.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:41 am
To clear a few things up..and to hopefuly bring some justice..Chris Fargo was NOT the graffiti Vandal KORPS. KORPS was way better then this sorry fucking herion addicted excuse for a “writer”. He went by two pathetic names… DFEK/ DFECT and FIEN after his first arrest in 06 he spent time in jail simply because he couldn’t have anyone bail him out….got off with a cop out probation sentence and put in a halfway house. Whoever reads this…please..know that you should be chargig this individual with the YEARS (6 plus) of past graffiti damage to the entire city of buffalo. He has now gotten off twice with no direct ties to the actual scribbling and poorly painted names he has gone by for years…LT. Lunetta…Pamela Beal?? Any of you… lets these two individuals know that the person they have now should be charged with much much more. This problem is not ending..and more needs to be done to the people we do catch. I would love to see him take ALL the responsibility for ALL his actions.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:21 am
8=D