DENVER — Jay Bianchi — a Denver jam band scene fixture and former Grateful Dead-themed bar owner who was convicted of sexual assault — was sentenced on Friday to one year in jail followed by 10 years in prison.
The sentencing comes after a Denver jury found Bianchi, 57, guilty of three counts of sexual assault and two counts of unlawful sexual contact in November 2025. Bianchi will also have to register as a sex offender.
One of the survivors who spoke at Friday's sentencing said the assault has "stolen years" of her life.
"Jay Bianchi raped me. That is my life sentence," she said. "I believe he deserves a sentence that reflects that."
The judge noted that it was unclear whether Bianchi takes responsibility for his behavior.
“What I heard, during the course of the trial from the testimony of the victims who you were convicted of assaulting, was a horrific account of their interactions with you,” Denver District Court Judge Andrew Luxen said at the sentencing.
Bianchi said at the sentencing he believed he was "a good person with a lot to share."
"What has happened seems to be unfortunate, but I believe in the long run, it is a lucky accident of fate,” he said.
Bianchi was arrested in April 2024 in connection with three separate incidents that occurred in 2020 and 2024 at two now-shuttered bars he formerly owned, So Many Roads and Sancho's Broken Arrow. He faced 11 charges and pleaded not guilty.
The jury failed to reach a verdict on five of the charges in November 2025 and one additional charge of unlawful sexual contact was dismissed by the DA. The jurors heard from 45 witnesses during his trial, which lasted nearly a month, The Denver Post reported. Those charges were dismissed Friday after a request from prosecution.
Crime
Jay Bianchi, fixture in Denver music scene, arrested on sexual assault charges
"Jay Bianchi was a serial sexual predator – over several years, he sexually assaulted women who were physically incapable of defending themselves," Denver District Attorney John Walsh said in a Friday statement. "As a result of today’s sentence, Bianchi is paying the price for his terrible actions and we hope that his victims can draw comfort from that fact.”
Bianchi reportedly transferred ownership of the bars in 2020, but remained involved in the bars' operations. In February 2021, one of the bartenders told undercover officers that Bianchi had transferred ownership of both bars “because the original owners name (Jay Bianchi) was too hot with law enforcement," Denver7 previously reported.
Local
Denver seeks to revoke licenses for Sancho's Broken Arrow, So Many Roads Brewery
The two bars faced legal trouble when an undercover investigation by police during 2021 and 2022 found employees of both bars serving alcohol to minors and employees of Sancho's Broken Arrow allegedly selling cocaine, MDMA and DMT out of the bar, Denver7 reported.
Sancho's Broken Arrow ultimately closed in 2023, and So Many Roads closed in 2024 shortly after Bianchi's arrest, Westword reported.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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