GRAND JURY INDICTS BRONX MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY USED HIS
HARDWARE STORE DELIVERY ROUTE AS COVER FOR A SIDELINE BUSINESS
DEALING COCAINE

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 30-year-old Bronx man selling illegal drugs while making legitimate deliveries for the hardware store that employed him.

A grand jury has indicted Luis Fernandez, of 1584 East 172nd Street, the Bronx, on two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the 1st degree, a Class A-1 felony offense, four counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd degree, a Class B felony offense, and two counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the 2nd degree, a Class A misdemeanor offense. Fernandez is facing a maximum sentence of 8 to 20 years imprisonment on each count if convicted of the most serious charges, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the 1st degree. Fernandez, whose bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash, was arraigned on the indictment before State Supreme Court Justice Robert Seewald.

Fernandez was arrested following a sting operation during which he allegedly sold undercover detectives in excess of four ounces of cocaine. The drug sales to Detective Investigators from the Bronx District Attorney’s Office occurred on November 28, 2007 near Bruckner Boulevard and White Plains Road, and December 13, 2007 near East 178th Street and Third Avenue. At the time of his arrest, Fernandez also allegedly had in his possession a quantity of clear small plastic bags containing crack cocaine. Investigators also confiscated an additional twenty grams of crack cocaine, cocaine in powder form and drug cutting paraphernalia during a subsequent consensual search of the defendant’s apartment.

Fernandez was employed by Schmuger’s Hardware Store at 3399 Third Avenue and allegedly used the store’s delivery van to distribute cocaine to his own customers while making legitimate deliveries to his boss’ customers who had purchased assorted hardware from the longtime Bronx establishment.

District Attorney Johnson thanked the following members of his staff for the work that led to this arrest: Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leahy, Chief of the Rackets Bureau; Chief Stephen Nasta, Bronx DA Detective Investigators; Deputy Chief Frank Viggiano, Bronx DA Detective Investigators; Assistant District Attorneys Robert Caliendo and Omer Wiczyk, Rackets Bureau; Lt. Rocco Galasso and Detective John Wall, Bronx DA Detective Investigators.