Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Friday, Nov. 18, that a man from the Fieldston section of The Bronx has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of narcotics charges for running a heroin and fentanyl mill out of his home.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “Fentanyl is killing Bronxites, and destroys the lives of its victims and their families. With this sentencing, there is one less person on our streets selling deadly drugs.” She added, “My office will continue our efforts to keep these narcotics off the streets by pursuing and prosecuting those who harm our community. I thank our partners at the NYPD and Drug Enforcement Administration for working with us in this investigation.”

 

Clark said the defendant, Ariel Jimenez, 37, of 4570 Henry Hudson Parkway in Fieldston, was sentenced on Friday to 16 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Lester Adler. A jury found the defendant guilty of three counts of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, with intent to sell a narcotic, on Nov. 16, 2021.

 

According to the announcement, on April 6, 2017, while authorities were conducting a separate investigation, NYPD and DEA officers stopped a vehicle in which Jimenez was a passenger, outside his home after he appeared to be in a drug transaction with a known major trafficker.

 

Authorities seized a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of fentanyl from under the driver seat after Jimenez attempted to stash it there. Execution of a search warrant of his home resulted in the seizure of nearly a kilogram (2.1 pounds) of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, ketamine and Tramadol in one room, and over 2 kilograms (4.5 pounds) of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in a second room, some packaged in smaller quantities for sale. According to webmd.com, Tramadol belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics. It works in the brain to change how your body feels and responds to pain.

 

In addition to the narcotics, investigators found a kilogram press, a blender, heavy duty tape, strainers, breathing ventilators, nitrile gloves, cellophane wrap, vacuum sealer, scales, a drug ledger, measuring cups and bottles, which authorities said indicated Jimenez operated a drug mill out of this home.

 

The case was prosecuted by senior assistant district attorney, Kevin Griffin, of the Special Investigations Bureau and assistant district attorney, Samantha Sizemore, of the Economic Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Howard Feldberg, deputy chief of the Special Investigations Bureau, and Craig Cecchini, chief of Special Investigations Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Denise Kodjo, deputy chief of the Investigations Division, and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, chief of the Investigations Division.

 

Clark thanked NYPD Detective Thomas Decker of the Drug Enforcement Strike Force, Special Agent Thomas Mulhall of U.S. Homeland Security, Special Agent Michael Reed of the Drug Enforcement Agency and Clarkstown Police Department, Detective William Gomez of the Drug Enforcement Task Force, as well as other members of Group Z 51 of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Drug Enforcement Strike Force, for their assistance with the investigation.

 

On Nov. 10, Norwood News reported how 50 pounds of fentanyl/heroin had been seized at a drug stash apartment in the Norwood section of The Bronx.

 

On Oct. 16, we reported on the arrest of two people in a major seizure of “rainbow fentanyl” pills and powered fentanyl a a location in Wakefield. On June 27, as reported, a multi-drug seizure of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crystal meth, and counterfeit pills took place in Mt. Hope.

 

We also reported on additional drug takedowns in the Bedford Park and Crotona sections of The Bronx in recent months. Meanwhile, as reported, the City announced on Aug. 5 new measures to train citizens on how to prevent and reduce overdose deaths, especially in light of overdose rates of 75.3 percent in Hunts Point-Mott Haven.

 

An overdose prevention training course was successfully held in St. James Park on Aug. 31, while a harm reduction forum was Harm reduction forum was held on Aug. 8, to address drug use in Poe Park.