Sacto 9-1-1: Placer DA: 90 days in jail looms for 4 graffiti vandals

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Sacto 9-1-1

The Sacramento Bee's Crime blog is a comprehensive report of crime news, trends and information for your community and beyond.

October 30, 2009

Placer DA: 90 days in jail looms for 4 graffiti vandals

Bee Staff

Four men who were arrested in May for allegedly causing $80,000 in damage by painting graffiti on walls throughout Roseville and Sacramento are facing 90-day jail sentences after pleading no contest to vandalism, according to the Placer County District Attorney.

The four will also be subject to paying for the damages and doing community service when they return to Placer County Superior Court for sentencing on Dec. 2, according to prosecutor Tracy Lunardi of the Placer County District Attorney's Office.

The defendants - Corey Simpson-Upmeyer, 20; Andrey Petkov, 19; Mikhail Russu, 20, and Frederick Rivera-Valdivia, 19 - were arrested May 8 during an undercover graffiti sting operation conducted by the Roseville Police Department, Lunardi said.

In court Wednesday before Judge J. Richard Couzens, each defendant entered a plea of no contest to a single count of vandalism, Lunardi.

Each was originally charged with 22 counts of vandalism-related crimes as well as enhancements for street gang terrorism. They faced the possibility of state prison sentences.

Police said the men were part of a gang known as the Sacramento Graffiti Killers and that the group was responsible for more than 300 cases of "tagging" in Roseville and Sacramento.

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