• Ben Fodor led Rain City Superhero Movement in costume patrols
• Undercover sting operation resulted in January 2020 arrest
• Former MMA fighter allegedly sold MDMA and cocaine to officers

SEATTLE, Wash. (TDR) — A Seattle man who patrolled city streets in a black-and-gold superhero costume for nearly a decade saw his crime-fighting career end in handcuffs after police arrested him for allegedly dealing drugs to undercover officers.

Ben Fodor, 31, who operated under the pseudonym Phoenix Jones, was arrested January 9, 2020, along with his girlfriend Andrea Berendsen, 26, following an undercover narcotics investigation. The arrest marked a dramatic fall for the self-proclaimed superhero who once led Seattle's Rain City Superhero Movement.

From vigilante to drug dealer

Fodor began his costumed crusade around 2009 after allegedly witnessing a friend being beaten outside a bar. As an amateur mixed martial artist training for professional competition, he donned a ski mask and started patrolling Seattle's streets. He later developed a full costume featuring a bulletproof vest, fake six-pack abs and equipment including pepper spray, handcuffs and a net gun.

By 2011, Jones had recruited fellow costumed activists including Buster Doe, Thorn, Green Reaper, Gemini and others to form the Rain City Superhero Movement. The group patrolled Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood weekly, claiming to prevent crimes, feed the homeless and ensure justice was served.

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But two confidential witnesses told a Seattle police narcotics detective in 2019 that Fodor was dealing drugs, with one expressing disbelief he hadn't been caught yet, court records show.

Undercover operation nets arrest

According to charging documents, an undercover officer contacted Fodor in November 2019 and arranged to purchase MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or molly. The officer allegedly bought 7.1 grams from Fodor at a Starbucks, paying $300 via Venmo and another $200 in cash.

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A second transaction was arranged for January 9, 2020, at a hotel in Seattle's SODO neighborhood. Fodor and Berendsen arrived just before 11 p.m., with Fodor sitting in the lobby carrying a tacklebox. When Berendsen stepped outside to smoke, an arrest team moved in.

Agents seized four grams of cocaine packaged for street sales, along with a scale and empty bindles with suspected cocaine residue. Additional searches recovered approximately 31.7 grams of unknown white powder substance and two small plastic bundles with suspected cocaine residue.

Controversial past

Fodor was charged with two counts of violating the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Both suspects were released from King County Jail on January 11, pending further investigation.

This wasn't Jones's first brush with law enforcement. In 2011, he was arrested for assault after pepper-spraying a group of people he claimed were fighting. Police determined "there was no fight," and one woman said Jones suddenly approached and sprayed them, announcing "I'm a superhero." He was forced to publicly unmask himself in court, though charges were eventually dropped.

His reputation further eroded after a 2019 video showed him beating up a drunk man who was harassing him. Public reaction turned against the vigilante, with many labeling Phoenix Jones a "bully."

Movement dissolves

Fodor disbanded the Rain City Superhero Movement in 2014 after years of mixed public reactions. In a March 2019 podcast interview, he announced his retirement from crime-fighting, expressing disillusionment with his efforts.

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"The difference was supposed to be the people who saw (a superhero), being inspired to not act this way anymore," he explained. "We have not gotten that lesson."

Despite his arrest, Fodor has occasionally returned to limited vigilante activities, primarily tracking stolen cars. As recently as September 2023, he posted about his efforts on Instagram, sometimes appearing in his old costume but without the mask.

Seattle police have consistently discouraged vigilante justice, warning that costumes could lead citizens to mistake the "superheroes" for criminals.

Should cities implement programs to channel citizens' crime-fighting impulses into legitimate community safety initiatives rather than vigilante activities?

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