Graffiti Artist Arrested for Photos Found on His Computer

[photo via New York Times]

Graffiti artist Alan Ket has been charged with 14 criminal counts, including trespass, criminal mischief and making graffiti, according to the New York Times. If convicted, he could spend decades in prison and face large financial penalties.

Ket, whose real name is Alain Maridueña, is known for the pieces he threw up on subway cars in the US and Europe during the eighties. He became such a well known fixture in the graffiti community that several universities invited him to speak, and his work has been shown in major galleries.

Maridueña is being charged for recent subway car works. According to the Times:

The case could pose an important test for prosecutors and the police, since Mr. Maridueña was never caught in the act and has no previous criminal record in New York City. Instead, the government’s case appears to be based largely on what prosecutors say is the unmistakable detail of his graffiti signature — his “KET” tag — and the fact that the tag is visible on photographs of illegal subway graffiti that were entered into Mr. Maridueña’s home computer only hours after identical work was discovered on subway cars.

Maridueña has pleaded not guilty and claims he's being targeted because he's a close friend of fashion designer and graffiti defender, Marc Ecko. Ecko has had several brushes with the law in recent years as he's fought publicly with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Councilman Peter Vallone regarding censorship in the city.

If the prosecution wins this case this could have HUGE ramifications for the rest of us. Stay tuned. (You may want to do some desktop deleting while you wait.)