Former Daiquiri Factory bar owner admits to debit card theft
Jamie Pendleton, who sparked controversy by offering a “Date Grape Kool-Aid” drink at his downtown Spokane bar and violated federal trademark law for using Gonzaga University’s bulldog mascot in bar promotions, has admitted using a Post Falls man’s debit card to steal almost $1,000.
Pendleton, 42, pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony grand theft. He will be sentenced May 24 in 1st District Court for Idaho.
Pendleton, whose Spokane Downtown Daiquiri Factory was evicted in 2014, withdrew $403 in cash using the Mountain West Bank debit card at a Chase Bank ATM in Post Falls on June 8, 2015, according to the Post Falls Police Department. He then charged $560 in four transactions that same day: at Wal-Mart stores in Veradale and Airway Heights, and at a car wash and a gas station in Spokane.
The victim told police the ATM card and its PIN were delivered to a mailbox at his former Post Falls residence, which was vacant at the time.
Post Falls detectives obtained bank and store surveillance images of the thefts, posted photos of the suspect on the police Facebook page, and quickly received half a dozen tips from people who recognized Pendleton.
One tipster told police Pendleton lived in Liberty Lake and was working a temporary job in a Post Falls warehouse. Another said he lived in Post Falls and drove a Honda Element sporting graphics, including “Q-Laid,” from his former bar.
After several failed attempts to contact Pendleton, detectives sought a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested Sept. 15, 2015.
Pendleton could not be immediately contacted for comment on Wednesday.
The Daiquiri Factory is preparing to reopen, according to the Facebook page for the business.
Last October, a Washington appeals court overruled a court order evicting Pendleton and his bar from its location at 121 N. Wall St. The landlord, FPA Crescent, said Pendleton owed money in back rent and terminated the lease in May 2014. Pendleton countered he hadn’t received notice required under state law to pay delinquent amounts before the company moved to evict him.
The bar opened in February 2014 amid a flurry of protests over the “Date Grape” cocktail name, criticized for making light of sexual violence. Pendleton eventually changed the name of the drink.
In January 2015, Gonzaga University won a trademark lawsuit ruling against Pendleton, claiming the bar owner used its logo and mascot for promotions without its consent. Pendleton claimed fair use and ambiguous trademark filings, but ultimately lost the lawsuit and had to promise never to use the trademarks again.
Also last year the Washington Department of Labor and Industries filed a claim against Pendleton, claiming $4,657 in unpaid taxes. The business owed the Department of Revenue an additional $4,669, according to court records.