‘School of Rock’ actor charged with stealing guitars

The actor best known for portraying Jack Black’s guitar playing prodigy in the 2003 movie “School of Rock” was arrested for stealing several guitars and amplifiers, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said.

Joseph “Joey” Gaydos Jr., 27, has open theft and shoplifting cases in Sarasota, Venice and North Port, police and arrest records showed.

At North Port Music on Jan. 31, Gaydos asked a store clerk if he could play an $800 Les Paul Epiphone Prophecy guitar. While trying the guitar out, Gaydos dashed out the door without paying, according to a probable cause affidavit from Sarasota County.

The heavily redacted report doesn’t specify how Gaydos was tracked down before his arrest on Feb. 25.

On Feb. 7, Gaydos was inside Troll Music in Venice where he can be seen on store security video walking around with a guitar strapped around his chest. Gaydos then walked to the back of the store and exited through a side door, bypassing all means of payment.

Then in Sarasota, Gaydos was arrested on Feb. 11 for allegedly swiping a $1,900 guitar from the Sam Ash Music Store, according to the arrest report. Again, Gaydos walked out of the store with the instrument without paying.

On Feb. 14, Gaydos is accused of stealing two amplifiers from someone he lives with. Gaydos confessed to the amplifier thefts, as well as all other criminal activity. According to the arrest report, he blamed his actions on his heroin addiction.

According to the report, Gaydos also confessed to pawning the two amplifiers and all of the guitars he stole, including a SG Gibson from a Guitar Center in Fort Myers.

Gaydos has been charged with two counts of grand theft and one count of shoplifting, according to jail records.