Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, March 22, 2011
Crime / Arts / News / Visual Art / Theater On Free Sheep, Gambling Charges, and When an Arts Organization Is or Is Not a "Front"
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 2:53 PM
New charges have been filed in the Capitol Hill speakeasy case against seven people for crimes ranging from cocaine dealing to "professional gambling." One of those seven is artist dk pan (gambling charges), who helped head up the Free Sheep Foundation, profiled by Jen Graves here.
Blogs around town are parroting the SPD's allegations that the Free Sheep Foundation was, in the words of Detective Sgt. Ryan Long, "created only to generate plausible deniability to law enforcement, should suspicion arise."
We'll learn more about all this as the case unfolds, but let me point out to my fellow reporters right now that Free Sheep was most certainly not "created only to generate plausible deniability." Its artistic background is far broader and longer than the SPD is giving it credit for—and probably predates the beginning of SPD's investigation.
Free Sheep put together the Bridge Motel, the Moore Inside Out, and other events, including incubation performances for Degenerate Art Ensemble, which is currently having a show at the Frye Art Museum (which I've written about for next week's paper) where Free Sheep is credited on the wall text as a real-deal arts organization.
Was Free Sheep ever involved in any way with anything illegal? I don't know—but even if it was, that doesn't negate its identity as an arts organization. ("Art" and "crime" aren't mutually exclusive terms.) I'm disappointed at my fellow reporters who've assumed that Free Sheep was created only to generate plausible deniability to law enforcement just because the SPD says so. No calls to the Moore, no calls to the Frye, no calls to 4Culture, no calls to Seattle School or to any of the many, many artists and arts organizations who've done real work with Free Sheep.
Credulous fucking hacks.
And if SPD is still convinced that Free Sheep was entirely an illegal front... well, they've got a lot of artists to arrest.
1
So if I sold a painting and used the money to buy some blow can my art be a front for my illegal activities? I think it will give me some street cred.
5
The other option is that a bunch of criminals used artists, thestranger, and the rest of the community successfully to cover up their other more nefarious activities.
I think you've been had.
I think you've been had.
6
Not to get all Jay Leno on SLOGgers, but today's looniest headline has to be from the LA Times:
L.A.'s Holocaust Museum Creates a Quiet Oasis Amid City's Bustle
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663448/las-…
Yes, when I want to relax, I go to a DIORAMA ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST.
AAAAAAAAAAAA
http://duketumatoe.com/wp-content/upload…
7
So we can assume somebody at The Stranger sees this as an opportunity to make those calls you suggest and put together an investigative piece?
8
I'm not so sure it isn't a little bit of both. Hey, it's possibly some folks who are artists like to supplement their income with a little illegal gambling...
9
Hacks? The blogs around town I've seen - Erica at Publicola, Jonah at Seattlecrime, Justin at Capitol Hill Seattle - reported what the charges alleged (as, for example, Schmader did here in Morning News the other day). I haven't seen any blog say the charges are true. Which blogs have you mad?
10
What's worse?
Credulous fucking hack or Passive aggressive twit?
You should own up to it and name names. Otherwise I'd go with the latter being worse.
Credulous fucking hack or Passive aggressive twit?
You should own up to it and name names. Otherwise I'd go with the latter being worse.
11
People. People.
What matters is that OUR CHILDREN are safe from groups of well-dressed 20 to 40 year olds drinking alcoholic beverages indoors at INAPPROPRIATE hours. HIGHLY inappropriate hours, in some extreme cases.
At last it is safe to walk the streets again. Thank you, SPD. God bless you and please don't shoot me, please? Thx.
What matters is that OUR CHILDREN are safe from groups of well-dressed 20 to 40 year olds drinking alcoholic beverages indoors at INAPPROPRIATE hours. HIGHLY inappropriate hours, in some extreme cases.
At last it is safe to walk the streets again. Thank you, SPD. God bless you and please don't shoot me, please? Thx.
12
True dat. No one who has worked with DK Pan over the years can doubt his merit as a true artist with big ideas and impressive follow through. I am hopeful that these charges will turn out to be total bullshit.
And hey - we can at least be grateful that the Cops haven't shot anyone this time. Not yet anyway.
And hey - we can at least be grateful that the Cops haven't shot anyone this time. Not yet anyway.
13
c'mon, Stranger.
Yes, FSF has done a bunch of good things. Yes, PK Pan is an interesting guy.
But you have to admit that they (apparently) were involved with a bunch of cocaine and mega money gambling shenanigans. They got caught. Boo hoo.
Yes, FSF has done a bunch of good things. Yes, PK Pan is an interesting guy.
But you have to admit that they (apparently) were involved with a bunch of cocaine and mega money gambling shenanigans. They got caught. Boo hoo.
14
Parrot?
I'll report this story as it comes. I don't see how a call to the Frye would change my reporting of the charges.
If anybody would like to get beyond freaking out and read the prosecutor's charging documents, I posted them here:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2011/0…
In some elements, you can see just how thin the case gets. But in others it looks like prosecutor will have something to work with. Dunno. But I'll be damned if I'm not supposed to report it because Stranger liked these guys. Guess what. I like DK Pan, too.
I'll report this story as it comes. I don't see how a call to the Frye would change my reporting of the charges.
If anybody would like to get beyond freaking out and read the prosecutor's charging documents, I posted them here:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2011/0…
In some elements, you can see just how thin the case gets. But in others it looks like prosecutor will have something to work with. Dunno. But I'll be damned if I'm not supposed to report it because Stranger liked these guys. Guess what. I like DK Pan, too.
15
I was pulled over the other day by a SPD squad car because I was driving my car in an unusual way. Apparently if you're not usual you are suspect of unseemly influences of some kind of other. I was attempting to follow an unusual person's journey walking through the city. I was just curious and it involved a lot of odd parking and hesitation just to observe this interesting guy. The cop was exceptionally sweet to me and I got off with a warning but at the very end of his manditory session with me he warned my that my driving alone was enough to have him cite me with a DUI because his explanation was my driving was impared. He pointed out that the law made this possible even if you pass all the DUI tests. Go figure. Modern American society is so offensive in so many ways.
I had to meet with DK to get permission to photograph the insides of the Motel Bridge event before the party. He's quite a strong character with forgein origins that could make it difficult for a SPD official to relate to. He seemed quite Puckish and disposed to play with anything even as serious as the hardedened eyes of cops. They must have pissed him off terribly.
I had to meet with DK to get permission to photograph the insides of the Motel Bridge event before the party. He's quite a strong character with forgein origins that could make it difficult for a SPD official to relate to. He seemed quite Puckish and disposed to play with anything even as serious as the hardedened eyes of cops. They must have pissed him off terribly.
16
@ 5 you don't know what the fuck you are talking about.
One fool involved with a speakeasy for fun got suckered into helping a person who he thought was his friend. That person was an SPD informant. The south of the border types had nothing to do with the speakeasy and I highly doubt if they any had idea it even existed.
The speakeasy primarily existed as a place for people to smoke while they drank. The SPD wasted a colossal amount of money and officers time investigating this because they held a grudge against the fool. Once they realized that there wasn't shit going on there they not only continued their undercover operation they managed to entrap said fool on some stupid trumped up shit not related whatsoever to the speakeasy. Looks like they aren't done trying to justify their total waste of resources on what amounted to a vendetta.
At least we don't live in a country where the police persecute people for political reasons though right?
*I* know what I am talking about.
One fool involved with a speakeasy for fun got suckered into helping a person who he thought was his friend. That person was an SPD informant. The south of the border types had nothing to do with the speakeasy and I highly doubt if they any had idea it even existed.
The speakeasy primarily existed as a place for people to smoke while they drank. The SPD wasted a colossal amount of money and officers time investigating this because they held a grudge against the fool. Once they realized that there wasn't shit going on there they not only continued their undercover operation they managed to entrap said fool on some stupid trumped up shit not related whatsoever to the speakeasy. Looks like they aren't done trying to justify their total waste of resources on what amounted to a vendetta.
At least we don't live in a country where the police persecute people for political reasons though right?
*I* know what I am talking about.
17
@13 You too no not what the fuck you talk about.
There was never any "mega gambling money", the high dollar stuff was related to the drug entrapment that had nothing to do with the speakeasy. The gambling was super small time and just for fun. Expect the police to raid your penny ante poker game if you think what was going there was "mega money".
There was never any "mega gambling money", the high dollar stuff was related to the drug entrapment that had nothing to do with the speakeasy. The gambling was super small time and just for fun. Expect the police to raid your penny ante poker game if you think what was going there was "mega money".
19
"super small time and just for fun"?
Can we see the books? How much cash flowed through on a typical night?
Can we see the books? How much cash flowed through on a typical night?
20
@16
There's a good reason to bust up gambling rings. They're really sketchy places. We are talking about a pretty mellow poker room (The Yard) which should have been able to operate under the radar, and the state won't usually intervene on its own, but when you've got a checklist of felonies going, including OWNING A CAR THAT IS PACKED FULL OF COCAINE and owning illegal firearms, consider your dick out in the wind (I can't understand why people defend these shitheads).
Oh, and Smoking inside while drinking was not the purpose of Yard, in fact, I've been told that smoking had been disallowed there well before the time of the arrests. You might be thinking of a different speakeasy.
There's a good reason to bust up gambling rings. They're really sketchy places. We are talking about a pretty mellow poker room (The Yard) which should have been able to operate under the radar, and the state won't usually intervene on its own, but when you've got a checklist of felonies going, including OWNING A CAR THAT IS PACKED FULL OF COCAINE and owning illegal firearms, consider your dick out in the wind (I can't understand why people defend these shitheads).
Oh, and Smoking inside while drinking was not the purpose of Yard, in fact, I've been told that smoking had been disallowed there well before the time of the arrests. You might be thinking of a different speakeasy.
21
@19; At $3 per hand you're talking about $100/hr per table. With two tables going for 6 hours a day, it probably grossed about $30-36,000 a month. Just a rough idea.
Free "penny ante" or any dollar amount games (without a rake, door charge, etc) remain legal, as always, in WA state.
Free "penny ante" or any dollar amount games (without a rake, door charge, etc) remain legal, as always, in WA state.
22
On behalf of Degenerate Art Ensemble, I would like to say that dk PAN is a truly passionate artist with whom we worked with for many years. He as dedicated himself to art in our city. He has spearheaded some of the most innovative and creative ( and yes, subversive ) work our city has seen. Through his Bridge Motel project, the Moore Inside out event, his work with the butoh/performance group P.A.N., his work with our company and many more projects, he has shown his tireless artistic dedication and vision and has moved so many of our city's citizens in so many exciting and creative ways. Any artist who knows dk will tell you that it is a huge mistake to state that he lacks any degree of passion or dedication as an artist. dk presented our work in 2008, and we are grateful for the generosity and support he showed us.
23
Years ago I knew a guy who owned a small deli. This guy had alot of friends that were involved in some illegal activities. At this time my friend was having some financial difficulties and I asked him why he doesn't ask his friends to bail him out. He said that if he did that their negative vibes would eventually taint his hard work. That is how I see this situation. I'm sure it seemed like a good way to fund art but now that art is tainted with this other stuff.
24
@ 20, again you don't know what you are talking about. The car supposedly packed full of cocaine belonged to the south of the border types not anyone associated with the speakeasy.
What illegal firearms do you speak of? The only thing remotely close to that was a misrepresented decades old revolver that at one time was police issue and had been sold as surplus. Somehow the media tried to turn this into some sort of contraband. Again, you don't know what you are talking about.
As to speculating how much $ it brought in, the person who would have been making $ off of it was having trouble making their rent so I think your #'s are off.
What illegal firearms do you speak of? The only thing remotely close to that was a misrepresented decades old revolver that at one time was police issue and had been sold as surplus. Somehow the media tried to turn this into some sort of contraband. Again, you don't know what you are talking about.
As to speculating how much $ it brought in, the person who would have been making $ off of it was having trouble making their rent so I think your #'s are off.
25
This investigation is/was so ridiculous that it's hard to know where to start... I would love to see exact figures of how much the SPD spent on this case. Can there be an audit to publicize the wasteful dollars the SPD regularly spends in these misguided efforts? Yes, the wah-mee was a grave tragedy but to use that to justify this adventurism is a far stretch. I mean using that logic, since people rob banks shouldn't we outlaw banks altogether. Card rooms operate in shoreline and surrounding areas seemingly without issue. I also remember reading that SPD set-up the whole thing to try and entrap potential criminals. It seems like to me that if the vice squad has nothing better to do than target poker players... then we as taxpayers should ask for some accounting... Wow, 4 years and probably millions of dollars for this! The art foundation connection seems pretty far fetched as well. Whoever heard of an art being used to raise funds for a casino? Casino = money, art = no money. If the group took money from the casino to make art then more power to them! God knows that with the budget cuts, it's not a bad idea.
27
The allegation that Free Sheep was a front won't make it to the court room, the prosecution will throw out that part of the argument in the face of the overwhelming evidence.
They probably even know it's wrong already, and it's just straight slander. By saying this in the charges, and having it reprinted by media, they casts more doubt on DK's character.
I read the comments people leave on both this article and your coverage of Richard Wilson to verify that the whole world hasn't gone crazy. Big thanks to those that have chimed in.
They probably even know it's wrong already, and it's just straight slander. By saying this in the charges, and having it reprinted by media, they casts more doubt on DK's character.
I read the comments people leave on both this article and your coverage of Richard Wilson to verify that the whole world hasn't gone crazy. Big thanks to those that have chimed in.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Portland Voters Are Stoopid by Goldy
-
An I-5 Bridge Over the Skagit River Has Collapsed by Paul Constant
-
Why They Break Windows by Unpaid Intern
-
Usually When I'm Sent a Photoshopped Image of a Gun Pointed At Me... by Dan Savage
-
Did You Steal Our Unpaid Intern's Camera? by Goldy
-
Tornado Truthers by Dan Savage
-
The Only Thing More Tragic than a Bridge Collapse Would Be a 10 Cent a Gallon Increase in the Gas Tax by Goldy
-
Star Trek Releases Deleted Scene of Benedict Cumberbatch Showering to Counter Claims of Sexism by Cienna Madrid
-
Boy Scouts Lift Ban on Gay Members by Paul Constant
-
SL Letter of the Day: Not A Prude... And Not Just Not That... by Dan Savage
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (28) RSS