A retired police officer has been arrested for a quadruple homicide after alleged drug deal went wrong.
On Monday, 49-year-old Nicholas Tartaglione was apprehended by the authorities for the murders of four men, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to a statement from United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara.
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Tartaglione served on the Briarcliff Manor in New York, and was seeking a position with the police department in Mount Vernon, according to People magazine.
Tartaglione allegedly “conspired to sell five kilograms or more of cocaine” before killing Martina Luna, Urbano Santiago, Miguel Luna, and Hector Gutierrez.
Bharara said in the statement: “While all murders tear at the fabric of our communities, when the alleged perpetrator of a gangland-style, quadruple homicide is a former police officer, that strikes at the heart of civilized society.”
In April, Tartaglione allegedly “participated in the senseless murder of four people in a bar in Chester, New York.” The four men who were killed “had not been seen or heard from since the day of their alleged murder,” Bharara said.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. gave a statement on this shocking case.
Sweeney said: “The despicable acts of murder are more egregious in this case because the alleged murderer, a former police officer, once swore to serve and protect people from harm. The FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force works day after day to battle the crimes that accompany the drug trade to keep criminals and their illegal actions from impacting innocent people.”
George P. Beach, the NYSP Superintendant said: “Once again the work of a strong law enforcement partnership has resulted in an alleged dangerous man being taken off the streets.These brutal murders are prime examples of the dangerous crimes that are associated with drug distribution.Narcotics destroy communities and put lives at risk. State Police and our partners will continue to work together to rid our communities of these dangerous substances, and the violence that comes with them.”
Tartaglione is being held in jail on an unspecified amount of bail. The former police officer faces a minimum of 10 years while the maximum sentence would put him behind bars for life. If found guilty, Tartaglione could face 20 years in prison, and the possibility of the death penalty for each of the murder charges.
What was your reaction to hearing that a former cop was arrested for allegedly murdering four people in a drug deal gone wrong?
[H/T People]
