Thread: Illegal nabbed in Hazleton drug raid

http://www.standardspeaker.com/index.ph ... 4&Itemid=2

Illegal nabbed in Hazleton drug raid: Cocaine, drug paraphernalia, guns, stolen goods seized
Friday, 08 September 2006
By L.A. TARONE
tarone@standardspeaker.com
A 38-year-old illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic was arrested after a raid on an East End apartment turned up crack cocaine, powdered cocaine, drug paraphernalia, two guns and perhaps stolen merchandise. The man initially identified himself as Victor Clemente of 454 E. Diamond Ave. He said he was a native of Puerto Rico. Since the island is an American possession, everyone born there is an American citizen.

But his real name was Rosendo Valenzuela, and he is from the Dominican Republic. His ruse fell apart when he was questioned by District Judge Joseph Zola during his arraignment late Wednesday.

Zola pressed him on his identification and asked whether he’d ever been arrested, as Zola had information that Clemente had a long record of prior arrests.

He pressed the suspect about an arrest earlier this year in Jersey City, N.J. But the suspect said he’d never been to New Jersey in his life.

Zola also had information that the real Victor Clemente had a tattoo on his left arm.

During questioning, Zola had a police officer role up both the suspect’s sleeves. No tattoo was found. Zola then instructed the interpreter to ask him “Does he want to be honest with me now?”

At that point, Valenzuela admitted his real name and that he was in the country illegally.

“I had to work; I had to do it,” Valenzuela said in Spanish.
The charges were filed under the name of Victor Clemente, but will be amended to show his real name.

Those charges include eight counts of manufacture of a controlled substance, eight counts of possession of a controlled substance, eight counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, three counts of counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of corruption of a minor.

The child endangerment charges were filed because on three different sales, Roman had his 3-year-old daughter with him.

Police said the arrest was the result of several undercover buys.

City police found 84 grams of crack cocaine, 37 grams of powdered cocaine, a .32-caliber pistol, a .22-caliber rifle with a scope, a couple of boxes of Baggies, a scale and $700 in cash – along with several gold chains and medallions police believe to be stolen.

Police put the street value of the crack at about $3,000 and the value of the powdered cocaine at between $800 and $1,000.

Plus, police also emptied the apartment of what is believed to be stolen merchandise – mostly electronics.

Officers began pulling items out of the second-floor rear apartment at about 6:20 p.m. and were at it for over an hour. A city Highway Department pickup truck was filled with it – and a second vehicle had to be used to carry the overflow.

The merchandise include a 45-inch television set, a 27-inch television set, at least three other smaller TVs (they looked to have 20-inch screens), several stereos, a chainsaw, two pool cues, a microwave oven, three large swords, several boxes full of DVDs, a few DVD and CD players and a wide array of other items.

Several police officers and at least one city Highway Department employee made at least a dozen trips between the apartment and the street carrying things.

Whether all or any of the items actually are stolen is yet to be determined.
But police said they had reasons to suspect they are.

Some of the items were brand new, still in their boxes. Others were in UPS packages with different names and addresses on them. Still others were wrapped in packing material.

Also, police believe the large number of similar items – five TV sets – appeared suspicious.

Valenzuela was also wanted for parole violations on a conviction of trafficking in stolen merchandise.

Valenzuela lived in the apartment with his girlfriend, who is not a suspect in any aspect of the case.

At City Hall, she said she owned some of the items police confiscated, adding she’d gotten the 45-inch TV from Rent-a-Center.

Police said the veracity of her story and the status of all the merchandise has to be checked, which should take a few days. In the meantime, it has been locked in the evidence room at City Hall.

Police were suspicious of Valenzuela’s identity from the start. While he told them he was from Puerto Rico, police had a paper trail of money he sent to the Dominican Republic.

“I had to work; I had to do it,” Valenzuela said in Spanish.

Those charges include eight counts of manufacture of a controlled substance, eight counts of possession of a controlled substance, eight counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, three counts of counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of corruption of a minor.

Fall back to the overused line of "I had to work". I don't think selling drugs comes under any recognized category listed by the Department of Labor.

“I had to work; I had to do it,” Valenzuela said in Spanish

Gee, does he really expect the Judge to think selling drugs, carring weapons, stealing electronics and identity theft was considered work.

I would consider that CRIMINAL!!

Wow this is certainly going to help Mayor Barletta's case.
I'm sure the ACLU will sue Hazelton for violating his rights somehow.

If he has to do this kind of work, he can take his business back to the Dominican Republic.

We don't have openings here in the US for that kind of job.

Valenzuela was also wanted for parole violations on a conviction of trafficking in stolen merchandise.

The question I have is - how was this dude on parole? He is an illegal, why wasn't he deported when he completed his sentence? Same old crape, just another day!