Jay Bianchi, the embattled former owner of Grateful Dead-inspired bars Sancho’s Broken Arrow, Quixote's True Blue and So Many Roads Brewery, has been arrested by the Denver Police Department in connection with three separate cases related to sexual misconduct in 2020 and 2024.
According to the Denver Sheriff's Department inmate search, Bianchi was booked on April 16 and is currently being held at the Downtown Detention Center.
The DPD confirms that Bianchi is being held for seven counts, six for sexual assault and one for unlawful sexual contact.
One case allegedly occurred in October 2020 in the 700 block of East Colfax Avenue, where Sancho’s was located before it was shut down in a settlement with the city in 2022 over liquor-license violations and a public-nuisance complaint related to illegal cocaine dealing by bartenders.
The charges related to that case are sexual assault with counts for a helpless victim, overcome will and victim incapable, all of which are felonies.
A second crime allegedly took place in November 2020, the day after the October 2020 incident. The November incident occurred in the 900 block of First Avenue, which is where So Many Roads is. In relation to the November 2020 allegations, Bianchi is held under the investigative charge of unlawful sexual contact, which is a misdemeanor.
Bianchi relinquished ownership of So Many Roads to Tyler Bishop in 2020 after he was originally accused of sexual assault. So Many Roads did not reply to a request for comment. Bianchi could not be reached, as he is in jail.
But Bianchi has stayed involved with the brewery, with his Facebook page devoted to promoting its events. In fact, last October, So Many Roads had to close for ninety days after Bianchi served alcohol to an underage undercover DPD officer while working a shift behind the bar.
On April 7 of this year, another case related to Bianchi allegedly occurred in the 900 block of First Avenue. For that case, he was arrested on three counts of sexual assault for helpless victim, no consent and victim incapable, which are felonies.
“We are unable to release the affidavit due to the statutory protections for sex-assault victims,” the DPD says.
The Denver District Attorney's Office says the case is still pending and in the DPD's hands, so it can't provide information on a possible bond for Bianchi yet. The Denver Sheriff Department adds that Bianchi's paperwork is still processing, and it will add court information to his inmate search page when it becomes available.
In 2021, Westword reported on accusations of sexual impropriety by Bianchi. At that point, he had not been contacted by the DPD for an investigation.
“I feel like it would be great if there was a criminal investigation, because that's the only thing that would prove that I didn't do it," he said then. "So I guess the big question is, where is this criminal investigation? And why hasn't it proceeded? And what can we do to further that?"
It appears that action is finally proceeding.
In response to the news of Bianchi's arrest and charges, the So Many Roads staff has sent out a letter to the public:
Dear Deadhead Community,
We at So Many Roads are deeply shaken by the recent news regarding Jay Bianchi as we are sure you are. So Many Roads was born from Jay's vision of a sanctuary where Deadheads and our Community could gather and connect. However, his ownership dissolved some time ago, and his involvement in our cherished venue is now unequivocally terminated.
The allegations against Mr. Bianchi are just that, allegations, and these allegations are personal to Mr. Bianchi and are in no way related to So Many Roads. Regardless of the outcome of Jay's legal proceedings, he will no longer be associated with or welcome within our beloved space. The staff of So Many Roads remains resolute in our commitment to ensuring that our venue offers safety, joy, music, and community while strictly adhering to Colorado's legal standards to sustain our operations and let the music play.
We, the dedicated owners and staff of So Many Roads, are wholly devoted to cultivating an environment where patrons care for one another and where we reciprocate that care for our patrons. Our staff is primarily women and we do not tolerate any disrespect or any behavior which damages people as a whole, and certainly women.
We cherish our Deadhead community, and it is imperative that we unite, heal, and continue to nurture our space without any further involvement from Jay Bianchi. We sincerely hope you will join and support us as we collectively transform So Many Roads into a bar and venue where every patron feels safe, experiences joy, cherishes community, and revels in the music we love.
The show must go on! It is in this vein that we want everyone to come stand, and dance, against injustice to the spiritual sounds of Sages and Spirits this weekend and connect with our community. A portion of the proceeds of this weekend’s Sages and Spirits proceeds will be donated to the Colorado Coalition against Sexual Abuse.
Sincerely,
The Staff of So Many Roads
