Buket Gets 3 Years 8 Months
LOS ANGELES — A notorious YouTube graffiti vandal known as “Buket” was sentenced today to three years, eight months in prison after accepting financial responsibility for a new spate of damage.
C**** Y*******, 26, who used the moniker Buket, was on probation after pleading guilty in December 2008 to 32 felony counts of vandalism when he was rearrested May 21.
He was charged in May with five new counts of felony vandalism over $400.
Investigators discovered graffiti with his moniker on the 7th Street Bridge, the Cesar Chavez Bridge and in the 4200 block of South Broadway, said Deputy District Attorney Deann McCarthy.
The most recent incidents occurred between Dec. 22, 2008 and March 31.
On July 30, Y******* pleaded no contest to one count of felony vandalism and accepted responsibility for the four other counts.
Together, the five counts totaled $14,174. In exchange for his plea, the other four vandalism counts were dismissed today.
Superior Court Judge James Bianco today imposed the three year prison sentence that was suspended following Y*******?s plea in December.
Judge Bianco added another eight months for the no contest plea in July.
Judge Bianco also ordered him to pay $117,196 in restitution, which includes $103,022 that he still owes in restitution from the December plea.
McCarthy said Y******* has only paid $400 to date from the December case.
Y******* was taken into immediate custody to begin serving his state prison sentence.
Y******* became something of an Internet sensation when he plastered his “Buket” bomb 20 feet above the busy Hollywood Freeway — vandalism that was captured on videotape and posted with a rap soundtrack on YouTube and numerous tagger-related blogs.
Another daylight attack, which was also videotaped, appeared to show “Buket” applying his moniker to a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus as passersby and passengers watched in surprise.
A YouTube video that captured both tagging exploits has more than 450,000 views. But the notoriety also got the attention of sheriff’s transit investigators, who last May arrested Y*******.
Sheriff’s officials said they had evidence that Y******* had marked hundreds of freeway overpasses, concrete walls and transit buses across the state and southern Nevada.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identified at least 20 “Buket” scrawlings along a stretch of the river spanning a couple of miles, causing an estimated $60,000 in damage.
Read MoreBuket Busted Again
A prolific graffiti vandal known for spraying his name above the Hollywood (101) Freeway in broad daylight was arrested in the Watts area Thursday, authorities said.
C**** *******, 25, who frequently included his street name “Buket” when he left graffiti, was arrested this morning for violating the terms of his parole, which included a strict prohibition on tagging, said Deputy Aura Sierra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He was in custody without bail.
Recently, the sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau had been investigating tags along the Los Angeles River and to a mural along the northbound Hollywood Freeway, Sierra said. Investigators believe Yazdani was responsible for the graffiti.
Deputies arrested Yazdani when he showed up at the Transit Services offices to collect property seized in a previous tagging arrest, Sierra said. Deputies also conducted a probation compliance search of Yazdani’s residence.
Investigators recovered tools for scratching or etching windows and clothing splattered with paint, Sierra said.
Read MoreRevok’s Fame Catches Up To Him
An image of “Revok” from a graffiti video on YouTube, and the Riverside County booking photo of Jason Williams.
“Revok” is a prolific graffiti artist who also has a heavy presence on YouTube (see video below). As it turns out, the two might not go so well together. As KNBC reported here, Indio police arrested Jason Williams in Los Angeles last week on vandalism charges after they traced fingerprints from various tags and street art back to the L.A-based Williams. Most of the tagging in question apparently took place during the Coachella music festival.
Revok is not a small-timer. He appears in a number of online videos about graffiti, including at least one where he spraypaints a wall himself — and others where he is interviewed and profiled as a well-known Southland graffiti artist. In this video interview, Revok says, “More than half my life now has been spent doing graffiti. I’ve gone to jail I don’t know how many times, had people trying to kill me. There’s really no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for that.”
The graffiti in many of the YouTube videos is ornate and expertly rendered. Revok is clearly a talented artist. But …
“No matter what you call it,” an Indio police spokesman told KNBC, “it’s defacing public and private property.”
For repeat offenders, felony vandalism (for damage greater than $400) is punishable by a jail term of up to one year, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Not what you would call a pot of gold.
Read MoreEvidence of Dilated Peoples being confused as Buket by the media
Police arrest notorious graffiti tag artist Cyrus ?Buket? Yazdani on felony vandalism charges this week in Los Angeles but wrong images of the man in custody continue to circulate and appear at the top of the hour on CBS 9 and ABC 7 Newscasts due to the LA Times Newspaper mistakenly identifying Yazdani with a Youtube. com photo of highly acclaimed MC and Producer Evidence of Dilated Peoples
(Los Angeles, California ? May 28, 2008) Los Angeles Detectives took Cyrus ?Buket? Yazdani into custody this week on felony vandalism charges. The man who police describe as ?one of Los Angeles’ most prolific taggers? was habitual for videotaping his handiwork and uploading footage to the web. The well known local tagger became recognized globally when videos of him spray painting on a Hollywood Fwy overpass, with cars zooming by 20 feet below began ciruclating over the internet.
Respected Dilated People?s member Michael ?Evidence? Perretta has been making noise on the underground hip-hop scene since the trio appeared in the late 1990?s. In reference to the photo of the MC plastered across the front page of the Los Angeles Times and displayed hourly on various television newscasts depicting him as the arrested tagger Evidence says, ?I only met Buket once when I was asked to do a promo for an internet show, however I am obviously not him and find it humorous how the media didn’t take the time to figure this out before running such an extensive story.
Evidence explains how he was approached by Yazdani over a year ago and asked to say a few promotional words on film. The rapper explains, ?In my line of work anytime someone asks me for a recorded or live video promo I?m always glad to do it. I have co-signed thousands of Internet, Radio and TV shows as well as various other forms of media. This could have happened to any entertainer, not just me.? Unbeknowest to the celeb endorser his words would be edited and used as an introductory segment running prior to footage of Yazdani making his mark on the 101 Hollywood Fwy.
The segment entitled ?War 4? circulated on Youtube. com and was watched by over 200,000 viewers. Video images of Evidence were accidentally pulled by the Los Angeles Times when Yazdani was taken into custody, thus mistakenly identifying the MC for the notorious tagger.
Evidence has been a torchbearer and champion of underground hip-hop culture. He remains a positive identity within this often misrepresented and marginalized community. Raised in Venice Beach, California the former breakdancer has released four critically acclaimed and socially conscious albums alongside Dilated Peoples and last year had tremendous success with his solo debut The Weatherman. The songs tackled issues of politics and revolution as well as containing powerful tribute tracks to his mother. The celebrated MC has created his own unique blend of beats and rhymes making him a staple and respected figure on the current musical landscape. Evidence and Dilated Peoples have graced covers and appeared within the pages of Vibe, The Source, King, XXL, YRB, Vapors, Alternative Press, URB and XLR8R while his production work has included tracks for the Beastie Boys, Linkin Park, Swollen Members, Defari, Planet Asia and co- production on Kanye West’s Grammy award winning album College Dropout.
Evidence says he wants this huge mistake cleared up and retractions made by the media. Meanwhile he is busy preparing for upcoming nationwide show dates during the ?Fresh Rhymes & Videotape Tour” featuring Dilated Peoples, The Alchemist, Aceyalone and 88 Keys. The tour runs from June 2nd ? June 29th and will hit all major cities.
For additional information please visit: www.myspace.com/dilatedpeoples
Read MoreAlleged tagger arrested after work appears on YouTube
Authorities say ‘Buket’ is responsible for $150,000 in property damage in the L.A. area.
“Buket” is one of Los Angeles’ most prolific taggers — but he doesn’t exactly work in the shadows.
The tagger is featured in several heavily viewed YouTube videos defacing signs and buses. His most popular video — with nearly 170,000 page views — shows him scaling an overpass of the Hollywood Freeway near Melrose Avenue and tagging the structure as traffic speeds below.
Authorities say Buket’s moniker had adorned hundreds of freeway overpasses, concrete walls and transit buses across the state and southern Nevada. He is believed responsible for upward of $150,000 in property damage along the Los Angeles River and in the areas patrolled by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
But sheriff’s deputies said today that “Buket,” whose real name is Cyrus Yazdani, could be out of commission for quite a while.
The 24-year-old man was detained this morning when he showed up to meet his probation officer. He is expected to be booked on multiple charges of felony vandalism, sheriff’s officials said.
Law enforcement deals with hundreds of taggers across the city. But it is how and when Yazdani chooses to vandalize property that has earned him special attention from law enforcement, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Augie Pando.
“It’s blatant disregard for other people’s property,” Pando said.
Rather than work clandestinely or under cover of darkness, sheriff’s deputies say Buket prefers an in-your-face approach.
Another daylight attack captured on video appears to show “Buket” applying his moniker to an MTA bus as passersby and passengers watch in surprise.
The Internet, whether it’s YouTube or social networking sites, is helping fuel a new explosion in graffiti tagging, albeit with editing and soundtracks. But investigators say it also is helping them build better cases against the vandals.
Earlier this year, another prolific tagger, Gustavo Romero, was sentenced to a year in jail for etching his “Guser” moniker on dozens of Metro buses.
Romero, 23, of South Los Angeles, caused at least $108,000 in damage to property over a two-year period. He pleaded guilty to 49 felony charges.
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