A 17-year veteran of the NYPD was arrested at JFK airport yesterday upon his return from the Dominican Republic. Jose Tejada, 45, is accused of participating in a violent robbery ring that stole money and drugs from suspected drug dealers. According to prosecutors, Tejada took part in at least three robberies in 2006 and 2007 while in uniform. The Harlem cop allegedly supplied the crew with police uniforms, NYPD vehicles, and other equipment which they used for robberies that netted over $1 million and 250 kilos in cocaine.
If any of this sounds familiar, it's not just because of that Ethan Hawke movie. Another cop, Emmanuel Tavarez, was busted for participating in the same crew and was sentenced to 25 years in prison last year. The federal probe into the violent gang has been going on for five years, and 21 members of the gang have since been arrested, including an auxiliary police officer.
Tejada is accused of participating in the raids while wearing his police uniform, which he allegedly used to force his way into drug dealers homes. During one job in Manhattan, Tejada and crew members allegedly pulled over a vehicle, handcuffed the driver and seized the five kilos of cocaine they found in the car. On another occasion, the Daily News reports:
Tejada and other crew members stormed an innocent family’s home in the Bronx, having mistaken it for a drug dealer’s digs, according to court papers. While two goons tore through the home in search of narcotics, the rogue officer trained his gun on the victims, including their teenage child, prosecutors allege.
In recent years, Tejada was transferred to the housing cop beat in the South Bronx. He's charged with robbery conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, MDMA and marijuana and criminal possession of a firearm. CBS 2 notes that Tejada was charged "with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. A violation of the Hobbs Act involves three elements - an obstruction or interference interstate commerce, a robbery or extortion attempt, and a threat or use of violence."
