BRONX MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SEVERAL COUNTS OF MAKING GRAFFITI

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 36 year-old Bronx man has been convicted of making graffiti on four different buildings last month.

John Bethea, aka "John Wayne" pled guilty to four counts of Making graffiti, a class "A" misdemeanor offense. Acting State Supreme Court Justice John N. Byrne set sentencing for Thursday, May 5, 2005 in Part A. Under the terms of the plea agreement Bethea will be sentenced to a term of nine months in jail.

The first incident occurred on March 4, 2005 at 3471 Fenton Avenue, where the defendant was observed by a police officer writing on the side of the building. The second incident occurred on March 13, 2005, when an eyewitness called the police after observing the defendant writing on the side of a building at 3479 Boston Road. When the police arrived, the defendant was still in the vicinity and was arrested.

The third incident, on March 22, 2005, occurred at 3443 Boston Road, where Bethea was observed by a police officer spray painting his tag on side of the building. The fourth and final incident occurred on March 29, 2005. Police Officers from the 47th Precinct, observed the defendant spray painting a bus that had just pulled into the bus-stop on the corner of Laconia Avenue and 225th Street.

Assistant District Attorney April Cohen of the General Crimes Division is prosecuting this case.