Firefighter Accused Of Selling Prescription Drugs Outside Brooklyn Firehouse
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An eight-year veteran of the FDNY faces charges after he allegedly sold prescription drugs outside a Brooklyn firehouse and nearby gas station on multiple occasions, according to authorities.
Daniel Torres, 33, of Rahway, New Jersey, was arrested on the Staten Island Expressway on his way to work Tuesday morning.
He was an eight-year veteran of FDNY Engine 279/Ladder 131 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. This fall, he was reassigned to the FDNY Recruitment Unit.
Officials said Torres sold 160 pills of Vicodin and 28 pills of Xanax to customers outside the Red Hook firehouse and a nearby gas station. He is also accused of providing a sample of heroin to one of the customers.
The firehouse is located three blocks from a childcare center, and the gas station is one block from a private Islamic high school.
Officials said his arrest came as a result of a long-term wiretap investigation by multiple agencies.
In an 10-count indictment, Torres was charged with conspiracy, criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance near school grounds.
Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro released a statement Tuesday night, saying "These are very serious charges that - if true - will result in his termination as a firefighter."
The FDNY said Torres was suspended for 30 days without pay.
The Department of Investigation also said Torres committed a residence violation by living in New Jersey as an FDNY firefighter. The department said that violation was also being referred to the FDNY "for appropriate action."
