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Jeffrey Gilleski, 25, of 177 High Clear Drive, Stamford, was charged Thursday with 16 counts of first-degree criminal mischief, 15 counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree criminal mischief, 18 counts of second-degree criminal mischief and and 13 counts of conspiracy to commit second-degree criminal mischief. His bond was set at $25,000.
Officers are searching for Michael Vega, 25, and plan to charge him with 56 counts of criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, police said.
Police accuse both men of committing property damage of more than $150,000 in the three-month spree that ended when police made their first arrests in the case.
The men were involved with a graffiti spree that left numerous Stamford buildings "tagged" with 'Luna,' 'Lunar,' and 'Vler,' among others.
The first break in the case occurred on Jan. 23, when a business at 62 Viaduct Road was extensively vandalized with "tags," police said.
The perpetrators left behind several cans of spray paint and other evidence that resulted in the discovery of Vega's fingerprint, police said.
The second break occurred March 8, when a resident saw someone tagging a fence behind the Camp Avenue Post Office, police said.
The neighbor gave a good description of a vehicle leaving the area, and it was spotted entering the Rivers Edge condo complex, police said. The vehicle drove away at a high speed but eventually was stopped on Haig Avenue, police said.
The driver, Michael Fanali, admitted being at the post office scene, and officers discovered a backpack in his possession with a large number of spray paint cans and tools associated with tagging, police said.
As a result of that stop, along with evidence found in the vehicle, police said they identified Gilleski as a suspect in the tagging and searched his home the next day.
That search turned up 14 ounces of marijuana, products used for the packaging and sale of marijuana, a .25-caliber Bauer handgun and $4,336 in cash, police said.
Officers also found and seized hundreds of pieces of evidence of tagging throughout the city, police said. They found books, murals, drawings and pictures of graffiti on buildings throughout Stamford, police said. In addition, police confiscated Gillespie’s computer and phones.
Gilleski was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana with the intent to sell in March.
Fanali, 22, of 63 Buckingham Drive, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy after the March 8 stop.
Police praised the work of Officers Joe Lorenti, James Grabinski, Leo Brace, William Moore, and Richard Vetter.
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