A trio of fake cops who kidnapped and robbed a man of three kilos of cocaine and about $160,000 in the Bronx had the bad luck to come across real cops after a witness called 911, federal authorities said Wednesday.
Rashiem Council, Paris Fulton and Terrence McKee face federal narcotics conspiracy and firearms charges in a complaint filed in Manhattan Federal Court. The man they were trying to rob, Michael Garcia, was also charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute.
Council, Fulton and McKee geared up to look like cops so they could force their way into Garcia’s Crotona apartment on E. 178th St. near Clinton Ave., where their target lived with his partner and two young children.
But their getup didn’t look much like real NYPD gear.
One of them wore a holster and black vest with buckles similar to the ones found on a bullet-proof vest, while another sorted a jacket with the word “Security” on the back,” according to a federal complaint. At least one of the men carried a Taser and a security badge, the complaint alleges, and at least one had a gun.
The three hoods rushed into Garcia’s apartment and chased him to his bedroom, demanding at gunpoint that he and his partner get on the floor, the feds allege. They handcuffed Garcia and asked where he hid his drugs ad money, and Garcia gestured to a bedroom closet.
Inside, the crooks found shopping bags filled with drugs and cash, authorities said.
The bogus cops then walked Garica, in cuffs, out of the apartment and into an elevator, the feds allege.
Real NYPD officers responding to a 911 call met the suspects when the elevator reached the ground floor, authorities said.
“They tried to avoid the officers and continued walking towards the front door,” the Manhattan Federal Court complaint reads. The officers asked the police impersonators what law enforcement unit they were with, and the police impersonators claimed that their sergeant was waiting for them outside, the complaint said.
Once outside, the bogus cops got outside, they made a run for it — as did Garcia, authorities said.
The real cops gave chase, quickly catching up with Garcia, Council, 31, and McKee, 33. One of the men tossed a gun onto the street, and police found two more guns near the apartment building, said officials.
Police arrested Fulton shortly after, when he returned to the scene to try and retrieve his car.
While the fake cops wore blue tactical uniforms, they weren’t wearing police shields or anything with the NYPD logo, a police source said.
The alleged robbers could face up a mandatory minimum of 12 years behind bars, and up to life in prison if they’re convicted, while Garcia could face a mandatory minimum of five years, and a maximum of 40 years.
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