QUEENS VILLAGE SOCIAL CLUB RAIDED: FOUR ARRESTED FOR DRUGS IN CLUB: THREE ADDITIONAL ARRESTS

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a long term investigation into drug trafficking in a Queens Village social club has resulted in the arrest of the owner and three workers at the club and three other people on drug charges.

District Attorney Brown said that at the time of the arrests on Friday, July 31, detectives assigned to the New York City Police Department's Queens Narcotics Borough seized over one pound of cocaine with a street value of approximately $110,000, 41 grams of heroin, fifty glassine envelopes of heroin, approximately $700, and a large amount of drug paraphernalia including plastic bags, sealers, scales and ink stamps from the club which is located at 219-05Hempstead Avenue in Queens Village.

District Attorney Brown said, "Based on what was seized as well as on sales made by some of the defendants to undercover officers and on observations made by the police over the course of 3 1/2 month investigation, it is clear that a brisk trade in heroin and cocaine was conducted inside the club."

District Attorney Brown identified the owner of the club, as Frederico Pena, 34, of 88-55 76th Street, Victor Almonte, 31, of 108-52 39th Avenue admitted being employed by Pena. Two others, workers at the club, Fabio Casanedo, 41, of 97 Euclid Avenue, Brooklyn and Niurka Torres, 21, of 346 Wycoff Avenue, Brooklyn were also arrested. The defendants Pena, Casanedo and Torres as well as Carlos Rodriguez, 30, of no known address, were arrested inside the club and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree and face a life sentence if convicted of the charges. The defendant Victor Almonte was arrested outside his Brooklyn home as was another defendant, Jose' Valeno, 40, of 773 44th Street, Brooklyn. The defendants Valeno and Almonte are accused of selling drugs to an undercover inside the club this spring. They also face life sentences upon conviction. All six defendants were arraigned Saturday Pena and Almonte were ordered held without bail. The other four defendants are being held on $50,000.

District Attorney Brown said that a second search warrant was executed as part of the investigation at the defendant Pena's home. Almost 3 ounces of cocaine 307 glassines of heroin, a plastic bag containing heroin and over $30,000 in cash were recovered. A seventh defendant, Carmen Encarnacion, 30, of 88-55 76th Street, was arrested inside 88-55 76th Street and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second degree.

The investigation leading to the arrests was conducted jointly by detectives assigned to Narcotics Borough Queens under the command of Inspector Thomas Sweeney and Assistant District Attorneys of the District Attorney's Narcotics Investigations Bureau. Detectives Arthur Clemens, Salvatore Salerno and others under the supervision of Sergeant Kevin Cummings executed the search warrants. Assistant District Attorney Joan Yang and Mark Katz of the District Attorney's Narcotics Investigations Bureau, which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter Crusco, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Robert Alexander, are in charge of the case.

It should be noted that an indictment is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.