He rose to the top of Chicago’s nightlife scene as the proprietor of one of River North’s most well-known clubs. Dino Gardiakos is now moving somewhere with a significantly less elite guest list.
On Tuesday, the 46-year-old was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to making or delivering narcotics in a case that began when he returned to O’Hare on an overseas trip with 14 pounds of ketamine. It is Gardiakos’ second guilty plea in a major drug case since 2022. The first one ended in probation.
Gardiakos came at O’Hare on an overnight trip from London in March 2024, allegedly carrying six kilograms of ketamine hidden inside six containers packed in his luggage, with more in a small container. After being apprehended, Gardiakos allegedly told authorities that he bought the pills in London and that the supplier taught how to disguise them so he could pass through customs at O’Hare.
According to court records, Judge Timothy Joyce sentenced Gardiakos to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty on Tuesday. Gardiakos received little credit toward his prison sentence since he stayed free throughout the proceedings and was not placed under electronic monitoring.
The arrest occurred while Gardiakos was on probation for another narcotics case that began with a May 2021 raid on his Westtown home. According to prosecutors, U.S. Customs authorities discovered a suspicious box addressed to Gardiakos that had been delivered from the United Kingdom. Inside, they allegedly discovered more than two pounds of ketamine.
Prosecutors stated that agents resealed the box and had undercover police deliver it to his residence. When authorities received word that someone had opened the box, they swiftly executed an anticipatory search warrant that had previously been approved by a court.
According to prosecutors, the search yielded an estimated $240,000 in drugs, including more than 11 pounds of cannabis, roughly nine pounds of THC concentrate, approximately one pound of Psilocybe mushrooms, and another quarter-pound of ketamine. Investigators reportedly claimed they discovered approximately $25,000 in cash, packaging materials, a scale, ledgers, and other items consistent with drugs distribution.
Despite the charges, Gardiakos ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a prohibited narcotic, and Joyce sentenced him to two years of second-chance probation and 30 hours of community service. Joyce revoked the probation on Tuesday, calling it “unsatisfactory.”
Spybar issued a statement on Instagram following Gardiakos’ 2024 arrest, stating that the club’s “staff, management, and the operating owner” were “shocked and saddened” by the claims. According to the statement, Gardiakos is a co-owner but has not been involved in the club’s day-to-day operations in more than seven years.
“Spybar has a zero-tolerance policy for illicit or illegal activities,” the statement read.
The club also stated that it was “working with our team of professionals” to resolve the issue “swiftly and thoroughly.”
Gardiakos’ present ownership of the nightclub was not immediately clear.
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