22 October 2023 , 20:03
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A veteran New York Police Department officer who boasted about how much she loved her job has been caught allegedly dealing large amounts of narcotics, including fentanyl and heroin, while on duty.
37-year-old Grace Rose Baez was arrested along with Cesar Martinez, 42, of Yonkers, a New York City suburb, and charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and distribution of narcotics, according to US Attorney of the Southern District of New York Damian Williams. The pair allegedly tried to sell the drugs to a federal informant this month, officials said.
Baez, of the Bronx, is said to have given the informant a sample of what she called "top quality" fentanyl in a Mentos container on Tuesday, October 17, according to officials. She then reportedly told the informant she could sell them a kilo of heroin for $25,000 (£20,500) and 800 grams of fentanyl with pricing to be negotiated later based on the drug's purity.
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She's said to have offered the informant a sample of the "top quality" fentanyl in a Mentos container (U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York)It's alleged Baez, who has been an officer since 2012, had multiple meetings with the informant. She was working on desk duty at an NYPD facility while arranging meetings and negotiating prices to sell "kilogram quantities of narcotics" according to federal agents.
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On Thursday, Baez met with the informant in Yonkers where she handed over packages containing suspected narcotics including a total of 1.4kg of heroin and 640g of fentanyl labelled 640 Manzana. She was arrested that day.
Baez allegedly offered the informant a kilogram of heroin (instagram.com/graciela_rose)
It's alleged Baez arranged meetings with the informant while on duty as a cop (instagram.com/graciela_rose)After her arrest, officers went to the Yonkers home she shared with Martinez where they found a package of suspected narcotics being thrown out of the apartment. Once inside the apartment, they discovered a kilogram press machine as well as additional narcotics that Martinez had allegedly attempted to throw outside.
Baez was placed on modified duty by the NYPD in 2020 after being accused of misconduct. IN 2022, she made $96,715 - less than in previous years as she worked less overtime on desk duty.
After her arrest, Baez was suspended without pay. Now she and Martinez face dozens of years in prison. In an Instagram post in 2020, Baez boasted about her love for her career.
Police found Baez with a total of 1.4kg of heroin and 640g of fentanyl (U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York)"I will never apologise for picking a career I love to do," she wrote in the caption. "There's always a bad one or two in the bunch, but that's not me..."
Attorney Williams said Baez "flagrantly violated" her oath of office "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." Police Commissioner Edward Caban said that if Baez was found guilty she "tarnished the shield that she wore," adding: "These charges are extremely troubling because there is no place for corruption at the NYPD."