NEW YORK – A 47-year-old New York state prison officer was charged with trafficking cocaine outside his East Harlem apartment and allegedly hid $ 40,000 worth of drugs in the residence, Manhattan prosecutors said Thursday.
Alex Toro, a prison officer with the Department of Community Corrections and Supervision, (DCCS), at the Fishkill Center prison in Dutchess County, was charged with three felonies for the criminal sale of a controlled substance.
He allegedly arranged four separate drug purchases with an undercover NYPD officer. He is accused of doing this over the phone and via text messages while he was at work and allegedly had his sister complete the transactions in his apartment.
Toro himself would have been present on one occasion to complete the exchange, prosecutors say. He is accused of selling 250 grams of cocaine for a total value of $ 9,500, although prosecutors say a search warrant executed at his home a day ago recovered more than 1,000 grams of cocaine worth more than $. 40,000.
A loaded firearm and ammunition were also recovered, along with nearly $ 8,000 in cash, prosecutors said.
“Correction officers are expected to abide by the law and Mr. Toro’s alleged actions undermine faith in the criminal justice system,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Thursday as he announced the indictment.
Toro is charged with three felonies of criminal sale of a controlled substance. Information on a possible lawyer for him was not immediately available.
–
