The owner of Sip & Bite, the popular diner known for its late-night crowd and award-winning crab cakes, was arrested and charged with possession to distribute cocaine after a DEA sting operation.
According to the Baltimore Brew, Anthony “Tony” Vasiliades and Minas Politis were arrested on Wednesday after they handed a government informant $50,000 in cash in exchange for two kilograms of cocaine in a parking lot in Alexandria, VA. Vasilades was arraigned and released, but under the condition that he not leave the Washington, D.C. area without approval of officials.
The Brew also notes that this charge is punishable by “not less than 10 years” in prison, in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines.
Vasiliades has been a constant presence working the flattop and cash register at the diner, and his family has owned Sip & Bite since the 1960s. The diner is a local landmark and recently got national recognition when it was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
This comes only a few months after it was discovered that the Rita’s Italian Ice stand, just up the street from Sip & Bite, was used to launder money in a cocaine-trafficking operation.
No future court date has been set for Vasiliades.