A 47-year-old New York state corrections officer has been accused of dealing cocaine out of his East Harlem apartment and allegedly had $40,000 worth of the drug stashed at the residence, Manhattan prosecutors said Thursday.
Alex Toro, a Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DCCS) corrections officer at the Fishkill Correctional Facility in Dutchess County, was indicted on three felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance.
He allegedly arranged four separate drug buys with an undercover NYPD officer. He's accused of doing that over the phone and via text messages while at work, and allegedly then had his sister complete the transactions at his apartment, according to the indictment.
Toro himself was present on one occasion to complete the exchange, prosecutors allege. He's accused of selling 250 grams of cocaine for a total value of $9,500, though prosecutors say a search warrant executed at his home a day ago recovered more than 1,000 grams of cocaine with a total street value of more than $40,000, prosecutors say.
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A loaded firearm and ammunition were also recovered, along with nearly $8,000 in cash, prosecutors said.
"Corrections officers are expected to uphold the law, and Mr. Toro's alleged actions undermine faith in the criminal justice system," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in announcing the indictment Thursday.
Toro is charged with three felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance. Information on a possible attorney for him wasn't immediately available.
