This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #1105)
Drug War Issues

New York City's finest are at it again, and there's more trouble in the Houston narcotics division. Let's get to it:

[image:1 align:right]In New York City, an NYPD officer was arrested last Wednesday on charges he was part of a Long Island drug ring. Officer Joseph Recca went down as authorities in Suffolk County investigated a fatal overdose last September. The investigation determined that he had sold drugs to the victim, although it's not clear if he sold the drugs that caused the overdose. Recca and two others face drug and conspiracy charges, which could be upgraded to manslaughter if he is linked to the drugs that caused the overdose. He is now a former NYPD officer, having resigned upon his arrest. He's looking at up to 25 years in prison -- and that's without the manslaughter charge.

In Houston, a Houston police narcotics officer was relieved of duty and placed under investigation on July 16. Officer Juan Martinez, a 15-year veteran, is being investigated for "inappropriate conduct related to undercover operations and confidential informants," but officials have not yet provided additional details. Martinez works in the same division that undertook a botched drug raid that led to the death of two innocent homeowners and the wounding of four police officers.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Add new comment


Source URL: https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/29/weeks_corrupt_cops_stories