A 33-year-old Australian man believed to be behind graffiti found on a train in the Millbrae BART yard last month is facing nine months in county jail after he pleaded guilty to felony vandalism Wednesday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Matthew Raoul White was waiting to board a connecting flight to Sydney when he was arrested with spray paint on his clothes at the San Francisco International Airport in late December as the suspect behind the moniker “Bamp Floss” and the letters “GH” spray-painted on a train in Millbrae, according to prosecutors.
Believed to be part of the Australian graffiti group Get Hectik, White sprayed 4-foot-by-7-foot words and initials on the Millbrae train, causing damage estimated at $7,000 to $10,000, according to prosecutors previously.
Though similar graffiti was also found on trains at the Daly City, Richmond and Concord BART yards, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said previously the charges White faced in San Mateo County only pertained to the graffiti found on the train in Millbrae.
Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher commended BART and the other agencies involved in taking White into custody. Wagstaffe said previously that photos of the graffiti were shown to law enforcement agencies across the globe, and were connected with the group when a detective in New York City recognized the graffiti as similar to writing observed on the New York subway trains. After speaking with an Australian constable who believed the graffiti to be White’s from previous investigations, officials put a warrant out for his arrest, according to prosecutors previously.
White’s defense attorney V. Roy Lefcourt said his client is remorseful and wanted to resolve the case so he could get his life back together.
In custody on $400,000 bail, White will next appear in court March 1 for sentencing, according to prosecutors.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(2) comments
from the land of criminals. i say keel haul him!
How refreshing! Americans always deny their guilt. Perhaps we need to become more Australian!
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.