Stamford Police Nab Pair In Connection With Graffiti Investigation

STAMFORD, Conn. -- It was the tools of the graffiti trade, an alert neighbor and a dogged police investigation that did in two Stamford men, police said. A fingerprint on a spray paint can coupled with an eyewitness led to the arrests that broke the graffiti case police had been investigating for several months, police said.

Jeffrey Gilleski, 25, 177 Highclear Drive, Stamford, was charged with possession of marijuana and intent to sell marijuana. He was arrested in connection with several alleged graffiti incidents.
Photo Credit: *Stamford Police Department*

Michael Fanali, 22, 63 Buckingham Drive, Stamford, was charged with second-degree criminal and conspiracy after he was arrested in connection with graffiti that had been sprayed all over the city the last few months.
Photo Credit: *Stamford Police Department*

Two men are facing charges stemming from a city police investigation into grafitti that has besmirched many buildings and vehicles in the city the last several months. Pictured is a building in Scalzi Park.
Photo Credit: *Frank MacEachern*

A cube truck marred by graffiti. Police have arrested two Stamford men in connection with the investigation into the graffiti.
Photo Credit: *Stamford Police Department*

Frank MacEachern

03/11/2015 5:00 a.m.

Michael Fanali, 22, of 63 Buckingham Drive, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief and conspiracy. He was released on a promise to appear in court March 23.

Jeffrey Gilleski, 25, of 177 Highclear Drive, was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana with the intent to sell. His bond was set at $25,000, and he also is scheduled to appear in court March 23.

Police have been investigating for months graffiti that appeared to have been done by the same person or persons. Numerous businesses and other property has been "tagged" with the words such as LUNA, LUNAR, and SLICK, among others, police said.

The first break in the case came Jan. 23, when several spray cans were found at a business at 63 Viaduct Road that had been vandalized, police said. From a fingerprint at the scene, police developed a suspect but were unable to find him.

The second break came Sunday, when a neighbor noticed someone tagging a fence at the rear of the Camp Avenue Post Office, police said. The neighbor gave police a good description of the vehicle leaving the area, and it was spotted entering the Rivers Edge condo complex, police said. The vehicle drove away at a high rate of speed but eventually was stopped on Haig Avenue, police said.

The driver, Fanali, admitted he was at the rear of the post office, 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 suspected and searched his home Monday.

That search turned into more than a vandalism-related investigation after police said they discovered 14 ounces of marijuana, products used for the packaging and sale of marijuana, a .25-caliber Bauer handgun and $4,336.

In addition to the contraband, police said they seized hundreds of pieces of evidence of tagging throughout the city. Officers found books, murals, drawings and pictures of graffiti that was located on buildings throughout the city, police said. In addition, police confiscated Gillespie’s computer and phones and said they will be executing search warrants to broaden the investigation.

It's an ongoing investigation, police said, and investigators are going through hundreds of pieces of evidence they expect will lead to further arrests and charges in the coming weeks.

Police have identified 39 separate tagging incidents in the city and say they will be linking them to the individuals.

Police ask anyone who observes graffiti to call the Stamford Police Property Crimes Unit at 203-977-4407.

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