Music-Scene Leaders Charged In Drug Case

Two men considered pivotal in the Seattle music scene - an owner of the popular nightclub RKCNDY and a drummer in several of the city's seminal grunge bands - now are in a group accused of running a long-term marijuana-growing operation.

In charges filed yesterday in King County Superior Court, a deputy prosecutor alleges that RKCNDY part owner Thomas Harold O'Neil, 35, ran the operation in several residences he owns.

One of those marijuana farms allegedly was tended by Regan Hagar, 27, a drummer in the local band Bliss and more recently in a group called Brad formed by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard; and RKCNDY's operations manager, Leigh Anne Bryan, 23.

O'Neil, of Mountlake Terrace, is charged with four counts of violating the uniform controlled-substances act. Craig Alan Porter, Hagar, Bryan and O'Neil's brother, Richard, are charged with two drug counts each.

According to Deputy Prosecutor Ellen O'Neill-Stephens, the two-month investigation began when an informant told Seattle police that Thomas O'Neil supported himself by growing marijuana.

Detectives began visiting and conducting surveillance on houses O'Neil owns. Seattle City Light records indicated power usage for the houses was far above average.

Wednesday, police searched O'Neil's houses in the 10200 block of 15th Avenue Northeast, the 7200 block of Palatine Avenue North and the 600 block of Northwest 76th Street. They also searched the RKCNDY building at 1812 Yale Ave. and O'Neil's car.

More than 250 mature marijuana plants were seized from the houses, as well as starter plants and guns. At RKCNDY police found receipts for growing equipment in Bryan's desk.

Richard O'Neil, arrested at one house, allegedly admitted growing marijuana and said he was five weeks away from reaping an $80,000 profit on the plants.

At the house on Palatine Avenue North, where Bryan and Hagar are believed to be Thomas O'Neil's tenants, detectives found 40 mature plants, 30 pounds of marijuana, two handguns and more than a dozen photos of Hagar and Bryan "cavorting among the marijuana plants, smoking marijuana pipes and pointing handguns at the camera," according to court papers.

A representative of Curtis Management in Seattle, which manages Gossard and the band called Brad, yesterday would not comment on how the charges might affect the group or its recording "Shame," scheduled for release later this month.

"I think that Regan is a pillar of the rock community. He's a person with a heart of gold. His career is taking off," said Jonathan Poneman, founder of the Seattle independent label Sub Pop and a friend of Hagar.

Telephone callers to RKCNDY yesterday were greeted with a recorded message that listed events for the coming week and said, "Thank you for your continued support during this . . . nightmare . . . and yes we are open!"

A lawyer for RKCNDY, Rolf DeDamm, said at a press conference Thursday that "the club's position is basically one of complete cooperation" and said no drugs were found in the club.

Thomas O'Neil, Richard O'Neil and Porter were being held at the King County Jail yesterday on bail of $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000, respectively. They are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. Hagar and Bryan are expected to be arraigned March 22. -- Times staff reporter Geordie Wilson contributed to this report.