LAWFUEL- The Law News Wire – MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, announced that former New York
Police Department (“NYPD”) officer KIRSIX DE LA CRUZ pleaded
guilty earlier today to participating in a conspiracy to steal
cocaine from drug stash houses in Manhattan, and to keep a share
of the proceeds from those robberies. At the time of the crimes,
in July 2005, DE LA CRUZ was an active NYPD officer, and had
registered to take the NYPD sergeant’s examination.
According to the Complaint and Indictment previously filed in Manhattan
federal court, as well as DE LA CRUZ’s statements at today’s plea
proceeding before United States Magistrate Judge THEODORE H.
KATZ:
In July 2005, DE LA CRUZ introduced a co-conspirator
not named in the Indictment (“CC-1″) to one of DE LA CRUZ’s codefendants,
LUIS GERMAN. DE LA CRUZ made the introduction
because GERMAN knew the locations of drug stash houses around
Manhattan, and was willing to share that information with DE LA
CRUZ and CC-1. DE LA CRUZ, GERMAN, and CC-1 agreed that CC-1
would rob the drug stash houses identified by GERMAN, and CC-1
would then share the proceeds of the robberies with DE LA CRUZ
and GERMAN.
On July 13, 2005, the FBI arrested CC-1 shortly after
he and another of DE LA CRUZ’s co-defendants, MARKUS VIZANIARIS,
had stolen cocaine from an apartment identified by GERMAN as a
drug stash location. CC-1 was arrested while in possession of a
backpack containing approximately six kilograms of cocaine worth
over $100,000 – and a loaded gun. After CC-1’s arrest, CC1
and DE LA CRUZ discussed, in recorded conversations, selling
the cocaine and sharing the profits from the sale.
