OAN’s Abril Elfi
3:25 PM – Sunday, October 22, 2023
A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of distributing hard drugs while she was on duty.
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The United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York announced the arrest of former officer Grace Rosa Baez, 37, and Cesar Martinez, 43, on Friday and stated that they were charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin and narcotics distribution.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams released a statement where he talked about how Baez took an oath to protect and serve the people of New York and violated it.
“Grace Rosa Baez took an oath to protect and serve the people of New York City. As alleged, she flagrantly violated that oath by pushing poison, including fentanyl and heroin, which are driving the nation’s deadly opioid crisis and have been responsible for thousands of tragic deaths in this city and around the nation,” Williams said. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those peddling these deadly poisons – no matter who they are.”
Baez worked as a police officer for the New York City Police Department from 2012 until her arrest. Following allegations of wrongdoing, the NYPD initiated an investigation into Baez in 2020, and she was placed on modified duty.
From October 9th to October 18th, Baez and Martinez allegedly had multiple communications concerning wholesale narcotics trafficking with a confidential source who was working with law enforcement. The source, according to Baez and Martinez, was a drug trafficker.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, during these negotiations, Baez and Martinez promised to sell the confidential source kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
Baez allegedly told the source that the fentanyl was of high grade and asked the source to meet her on October 16th to receive a sample of the drugs for sale.
That day, Baez allegedly met the source outside her and Martinez’s apartment in Yonkers.
Baez allegedly provided the source of a plastic candy container that was later examined by authorities and confirmed to contain fentanyl.
Following Baez’s arrest, cops searched her and Martinez’s apartment and discovered a package of suspected narcotics being thrown outside.
They located a kilogram press machine inside his apartment, as well as additional suspected narcotics that Martinez appeared to have attempted to toss out.
The Narcotics Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office is in charge of the case.
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