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Officer Jonathan Garcia could be facing 30 years to life behind bars for allegedly selling heroin and carrying his police-issued firearm during the transactions.
17th District police officers reported Garcia to the Internal Affairs Bureau, complaints that resulted in an FBI investigation of the three-year veteran in May. With the help of confidential sources, authorities nabbed the 23-year-old June 19 at his home, according to the pretrial detention motion by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was charged with four counts of distribution of heroin and two counts of carrying his police-issued firearm during the transactions.
“Perhaps as astonishing as the drug deals themselves is the unabashed exuberance that ‘Officer’ Garcia showed for his drug-trafficking business,” according to the motion.
Garcia could face a $4.5 million fine and $600 special assessment, or with the addition of a potential Hobbs Act violation, which is an “actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce,” according to the federal law, a minimum of 55 years in prison.
“On numerous occasions over the past six weeks, Garcia used the extraordinary powers vested in him as a Philadelphia police officer, including the unique ability to openly carry a firearm, as a means of distributing heroin and committing armed robberies,” according to the motion.
Between April 2 and May 2, he allegedly provided a source with heroin. The first batch was deemed bad quality and returned to Garcia, according to the motion. The source sold half of the second batch of the same number and then turned the remaining portions over to the Philadelphia Police Department’s Narcotics Squad.
Garcia allegedly sold the source 148 total heroin packets, which were turned over the FBI, at North Philly Market-Frankford subway stops, the source’s home or near the 17th Police District, 20th and Federal streets, May 9, 10 and 16, as well as June 5, 12, and 13, and collected $2,290, according to the motion. The latter four exchanges took place near the 17th District while Garcia was allegedly in uniform and armed with a 9mm semi-automatic Glock.
During one telephone exchange with the source, Garcia used the word “popping” to describe the success upon learning of happy customers and asked the source, “Yo, the people like it? … It’s real good, right? That … is real good, right?” according to the motion.
Garcia was suspended from the force for 30 days with the intent to dismiss June 20, according to police.
“This case is an excellent example of all of our efforts to fight corruption within this department,” Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said in a June 21 statement. “Officer Garcia was selling heroin while on-duty and in full uniform. This is an absolute disgrace and a violation of all of the values and principles for which we stand.”
Since October 2010, Garcia is believed to have advised the source more than 30 times to plant crack in vehicles of drug dealers, whom Garcia would then pull over and illegally search, and seize money and drugs. Garcia supposedly allowed the source to keep some of the drugs purchased and paid him $60 to $80 each time.
The source informed Garcia that he knew a dealer selling Oxycontin for $30 each, so Garcia allegedly told him to buy three pills, but drop two on the floor June 19, according to the motion. However the “dealer” was another FBI source, who had 100 pills and $2,500 planted in the center console of the vehicle. After the first source completed his tasks, Garcia and another cop supposedly pulled over the second source, searched the car, seized the pills and cash, and arrested the second source. Garcia allegedly only turned over 90 pills and $420 to police.
His jury trial is set for Aug. 20.
“And Garcia, in a post-arrest statement, admitted that his June 19 armed robbery was not the only armed robbery that he committed while on duty,” according to the motion.
Ramsey commended his officers who have integrity.
“These officers saw what was going on and made the right decision by coming forward with this information,” he said. “No one in this police department wants to have someone like Officer Garcia in his squad or unit. We must all have the courage to step forward and root out corruption, and demonstrate to the public that we are capable of policing ourselves.”
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
Also in this week’s Police Report:
Cuffed in, carried out
Favor turns deadly
Alleged arsonist arrested
Freaky Friday
Web-exclusive Police Report:
Cleaned out
A vile vial
Neighborhood bar stickup
Broad Street Line theft
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