Spybar Co-Owner Sentenced to Six Years for Ketamine Smuggling

Airport Arrest Leads to Federal Conviction

Dino Gardiakos, 46, co-owner of Chicago nightclub Spybar, was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to manufacturing or delivering narcotics. Judge Timothy Joyce imposed the sentence following Gardiakos's arrest in March 2024 at O'Hare International Airport, where customs officials discovered six kilograms of ketamine concealed in containers packed in his luggage, along with additional ketamine in a smaller container. He had arrived on an overnight flight from London.

Second Offense While on Probation

The airport arrest occurred while Gardiakos was still serving probation from a 2021 drug case. That investigation began when U.S. Customs agents intercepted a package from the United Kingdom addressed to Gardiakos containing more than two pounds of ketamine. Agents resealed the package and had undercover officers deliver it to his West Town home, then executed a search warrant after receiving an alert that the box had been opened.

The 2021 search turned up an estimated $240,000 worth of drugs, including more than 11 pounds of cannabis, nearly nine pounds of THC concentrate, about a pound of psilocybin mushrooms, and another quarter-pound of ketamine. Investigators also reported finding roughly $25,000 in cash along with packaging materials, a scale and ledgers consistent with drug distribution. Gardiakos pleaded guilty to a single count of possessing a controlled substance and received 30 hours of community service and two years of probation. Judge Joyce formally terminated that probation and characterized the outcome as "unsatisfactory" before issuing the prison sentence.

Club Distances Itself From Former Partner

Spybar, a longtime fixture of Chicago's nightlife scene that has hosted sets from Carl Cox and Eric Prydz, released a statement after the 2024 arrest describing Gardiakos's ownership stake as "exclusively passive." The club's proprietors said he had not been part of operations for more than seven years and emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for illicit activities.