Oregon Graffiti Artist Arrested: $10,000 Of Spray Paint Seized
The Portland Police Bureau arrested James S. Fischell, 40, yesterday, following a months-long investigation into graffiti with GIMER (Graffiti Is Me Escaping Reality) tags across the city. Fischell allegedly supplies graffiti vandals with spray paint and other vandalism materials.
Portland Graffiti Supplier GIMER’s Supplies Seized
After a YouTube published an episode called ‘Portland is losing the graffiti war,’ on the docuseries CHAOSTOWN, Officers Nathan Kirby-Glatkowski and Amelia Flohr of the Portland Police Bureau opened an investigation into GIMER in Mid-May last year.
The video features Fischell- who went to great lengths to conceal his identity, and the home where he keeps a significant supply of spray paint, called “every graffiti writer’s fantasy” in the video.
Despite the camouflage, Officers Kirby-Glatkowski and Flohr positively identified Fischell and the Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) assigned to Central Precinct, with assistance from the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and the Strategic Services and Prosecution Unit and Unit A at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, served a search warrant at home in the 1800 block of Southeast 174th Avenue in the Centennial Neighborhood on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
While Fishell resides at the home, he was not present during the execution of the warrant, and police seized over 1,500 cans of spray paint with an estimated value of over $10,000. Other supplies, called vandalism materials by police, were seized while searching the home in the Centennial Neighborhood.
While Fischel was out of the area then, law enforcement was aware of his location and pursued criminal charges.
Portland Graffiti Supplier GIMER Arrested
Portland Police officers assigned to the Central Precinct NRT located Fischell, 40, at his home in Portland on the morning of January 2, 2025. He was arrested and lodged on a warrant at the Multnomah County Detention Center. Fischell faces charges for multiple counts of Criminal Mischief in the First and Second Degree.
Central NRT is investigating the case and other graffiti vandalism cases in the city. They ask anyone with information on graffiti vandals to email tips to investigators at [email protected] attn: Central NRT.
Sources & References
- Press Release from Portland Police Bureau