Charges dropped against former Blind Tiger owner

n February 27, Guilford County District Court Judge Tabatha Holiday dismissed all charges against Bradford McCauley, former owner of the now-defunct Greensboro music venue The Blind Tiger, where bouncer Jason Leonard fatally shot 19-year-old Pedro Alegria on July 31 of last year.

In the investigation following Alegria’s death, State Alcohol Law Enforcement O cers submitted a davits accusing McCauley of failing to supervise the business and of hiring unlicensed armed security. In statements to Fox 8, McCauley’s attorney Amiel Rossabi denied that the establishment had served alcohol to Alegria or the underage members of his group. Rossabi

Oalso denied allegations by ALE investigators that Blind Tiger sta destroyed evidence, and stated that his client was unaware that contracted security team members Leonard and Anthony Delano were armed until he was called by police to the crime scene. Rossabi also alleged that McCauley did not know that his manager Donald “Doc” Benson and Delano had hidden firearms in the manager’s o ce after Alegria was killed.

According to Rossabi and McCauley, McCauley only became aware of the allegedly hidden weapons after arriving on the scene and viewing security footage. Rossabi, who is also the attorney for the Greensboro Police O cers Association, alleged that ALE investigators lied about details in their a davits, although he stopped short of making the same claim about the four Greensboro Police O cers on the scene, who in their a davits called the venue a public danger.

The a davit of O cers J. Jordan and E. P. Edmonds’ stated, “a disorder such as this is not unusual at this location”; that of O cer T. T. Simmonds stated, “I believe this establishment is a detriment to the community”; and that of O cer J. Young stated, “I am aware of three (3) other shootings at this location in the past year.”

As previously reported, McCauley surrendered the venue’s ABC licenses last October and sold the venue to Kris Sunico, who reopened it as Hangar 1819. In correspondence between Sunico, the ALE, and GPD that was obtained last November via a public information request, Sunico made multiple assurances that Hangar 1819 “will not operate as a nightclub but exclusively as a concert venue” and that events will end at midnight and the venue “will not abide after-hours operations.” Correspondence between Sunico’s attorney and the city also stated, “Brad McCauley will have no direct or indirect interest in the successor permittee,” and that “1819 is a newlyformed limited liability company wholly owned by one Kris Sunico.”

The two misdemeanor charges filed last year against McCauley and dismissed last week by Judge Holiday had been listed on the docket as WEAPON OFFENSE - FREE TEXT MISDEMEANOR 74C-13B and FAILURE TO SUPERINTEND MISDEMEANOR G.S. 18B-1005(B).

On Monday evening, Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Trey Davis responded to YES! Weekly’s inquiry about the meaning of these charges with the following email statement:

“In reference to your questions, NC 74C-13(b) refers to the statute under which the defendant was charged. NCGS 74C-13 is captioned ‘Armed licensee or registered employee required to have firearm registration permit; firearm training.’ The terminology you noted, ‘Free Text,’ is really superfluous. The charge is seldom utilized; therefore, the clerk manually entered the charge on the docket. Thus, the system generated the ‘free text’ description.”

On February 27, Judge Holliday granted the defense’s motion to dismiss the weapons o ense because it was too vague. Holliday also dismissed the failure to superintend charge after hearing the state’s evidence.

McCauley and his attorneys have acknowledged that, on July 31 of last year, victim Pedro Alegria was part of a group of 10 young people at the club, some of who were under the age of 21. Following an altercation between dismissed Alegria’s group and patrons at another table, both groups were expelled into the parking lot, where a fight occurred. At around 2:15 a.m., security guard Jason Leonard stepped outside and fired into the group, fatally shooting Alegria in the neck. Then either manager Benson or security guard Delaney hid several guns in the manager’s o ce. In a press conference, Rossabi stated this was done by Benson, whereas in his November Facebook video, McCauley described it as having been done by Delaney.

Leonard, who was employed by the club as a security guard, was charged with second-degree murder for shooting Pedro Alegria. Leonard’s next court date is scheduled for March 9.

Fired Blind Tiger manager Beck faces four misdemeanor charges, including two counts of a weapons o ense, one of allowing violations to occur on ABC-licensed premises, and one of resisting a public o cer. Beck’s next court date is April 13. Delaney was charged with resisting a public o cer and concealing the gun used to kill Alegria. His next court date is March 8. !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.