Five members of the KGB graffiti crew were convicted and sentenced for destruction of property after admitting to vandalizing numerous Washington buildings, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia.
From 2009 to 2011, the KGB — Krazy Graf Brothers — were responsible for “tagging” buildings across the city, including warehouses, grocery stores and even the Baptized Believers Church at 2801 Seventh St. NE.
The gang’s stylized and colorful spray paintings could be seen all along the back of buildings along the path of the Metro Red Line in Northeast Washington. Convicted were Christopher Huff, 22, Andrew Marquesen, 34, and Edwin Merino, 22, all of the District; Jason Medina, 22, of Severn, Md.; and the crew’s alleged leader, 46-year-old John “Asad” Walker, of Gaithersburg.
Members of the tagging crew each used a distinctive moniker in their graffiti, prosecutors said. Huff used the tag “HUF,” Marquesen used “GATOR” or G8R,” Medina used AERA, Merino used “CHE” and Walker used “MAR5” and ULTRA.
Search warrants executed at the homes of Huff, Marquesen and Merino led to the discovery of graffiti paraphernalia, including spray paint cans and sketch books containing graffiti art.
When confronted by detectives, Huff, Medina and Merino admitted to carrying out various acts of illegal graffiti, prosecutors said.
Huff, Marquesen, Merino and Medina received suspended sentences of between one year and 540 days. Each was placed on two years of probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
The judges in their cases recommended that each defendant fulfill his community service requirement by participating in the Murals DC program, a joint venture begun in 2007 between the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the District of Columbia Department of Public Works.
According to its website, the Murals DC program aims to “help replace illegal graffiti with artistic works” and to “revitalize sites within the community,” through graffiti art in a legal setting.
Walker, the leader and founding member of the KGB crew, was convicted of spraying graffiti on a Northwest Washington building in July. He was sentenced to a suspended term of incarceration and one year supervised probation. He also was ordered to pay $713 in restitution to the victim of the crime.
According to his website, Walker learned the New York City graffiti culture during its heyday and introduced the craft to his hometown of D.C. in 1990.
He fell into the “thuggish street life,” according to his biography, and was sentenced to five years in prison for crimes unrelated to graffiti.
One of his proudest moments came when he was invited to return and teach at the D.C. Jail as part of the Incarcerated Youth Program, the site states.
