‘Mayor of Pickleball’ in Denver accused of causing 10K in damages to court

DENVER — A Denver man dubbed the “Mayor of Pickleball” is in a legal pickle.

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Arslan Guney, 71, is accused of damaging pickleball courts at a recreation center by using a permanent marker to indicate boundaries, authorities said. Guney surrendered to authorities on March 17 for making 45 marks on the basketball court at the recreation center with a permanent marker to identify the boundaries on a court used for pickleball, KDVR-TV reported. He was charged with criminal mischief.

Pickleball is a sport where competitors use a paddle. It combines the elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis.

A supervisor at the recreation center and a maintenance worker attempted to remove the markings with a solvent but also removed the finish from the floor, the television station reported. The supervisor told KDVR that it would cost approximately $10,000 to strip and refinish the floor.

“In no way did he intend to damage the floor,” Hollynd Hoskins, Guney’s attorney, said in a statement. “This is not a crime. This is not criminal mischief.”

The courts at the Central Park Recreation Center had yellow markers available for the pickleball boundaries, KCNC-TV reported. Guney had argued those lines would shift and that permanent boundaries were necessary, the television station reported.

Staff members at the recreation center said that Guney asked for a permanent marker. They later observed him on security cameras marking up the basketball court with the marker, according to KDVR.

“What he was doing was attempting to help the rec center and the pickleball community in marking the gym floors,” Hoskins told KCNC.

In a statement, the City of Denver Parks Department said that, “Defacing or damaging public property is unacceptable, a criminal offense and will not be tolerated in any of our public buildings or spaces.”

Guney has been suspended from all Denver Rec Centers indefinitely, KDVR reported. If convicted, he faces one to three years in jail.

Hoskins said Guney is willing to pay for any damage that is considered reasonable, according to KCNC.

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