In a shocking turn of events, Grace Rose Baez, a 32-year-old veteran officer of the New York Police Department (NYPD), was apprehended on Thursday.
Alongside her, 42-year-old Casar Martinez was also taken into custody. The duo is facing charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics and the distribution of narcotics. The charges stem from their alleged attempts to peddle substantial quantities of drugs to a federal informant during a period spanning from October 9 to October 29.
The authorities have revealed that Baez, in an audacious move, handed over what she claimed to be "top quality" Fentanyl concealed in a Mentos container to the informant. This was ostensibly a ploy to entice the informant into purchasing larger quantities of other narcotics.
Baez allegedly offered to sell the informant a kilogram of heroin for $25,000 and 800 grams of fentanyl over the course of several meetings. The arrest was made subsequent to Baez handing over what seemed to be one kilogram of heroin and 640 grams of fentanyl, deceptively labeled as "650 Manzana," to a criminal informant.
Following the arrest, a search of the couple's residence led to the discovery of a package, suspected to contain additional narcotics, being discarded. A press machine and more narcotics were also found within the premises.
US Attorney of the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, confirmed that Baez and Martinez were charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and the distribution of narcotics. The New York Post reported that Baez had been assigned to desk duty by the NYPD following accusations of misconduct, during which time she was allegedly orchestrating meetings with the informant.
The Daily Star highlighted that Baez, an NYPD officer since 2012, had previously expressed her passion for her job on social media. In a 2020 post, she stated, I will never apologize for picking a career I love to do. She further added, "Theres always a bad one or two in the bunch, but thats not me
Williams criticized Baez for having "flagrantly violated" her oath of office by allegedly distributing lethal substances like fentanyl and heroin, which are fueling the nation's deadly opioid crisis.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban expressed his dismay at the charges, stating that if found guilty, Baez will have "tarnished the shield that she wore," adding that "there is no place for corruption at the NYPD."
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