Undercover investigators made 40 buys, often in plain sight on 95th Street between 37th Avenue and 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights. Via Google Maps
April 15, 2025 By Bill Parry
A Queens grand jury has indicted nine individuals in connection with the sale and possession of controlled substances—including fentanyl, cocaine, and crack—following a 17-month investigation into a drug-dealing crew operating on 95th Street in Jackson Heights, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday. Undercover officers made 40 purchases during the probe, totaling more than $12,000 in street value.
Seven of the defendants — Rodolfo Lopez, 28, of 37th Road in Corona; Kalexis Rosario, 32, of 115th Street in South Richmond Hill; Angelo Fernandez, 29, of 90th Road in Woodhaven; Luis Rodriguez, 36, of Elbertson Street in Elmhurst; Hamza Aurandzeb, 26, of 95th Street in Jackson Heights; Justin Moncayo, 25, of 102nd Street in Corona; Dorian Romero, 22, of 43rd Street in Astoria — were apprehended following the execution of court-authorized search warrants earlier this month. They were arraigned on a 142-count indictment charging them with criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Two defendants remain at large.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that nine members of a Jackson Heights drug dealing crew were indicted for selling fentanyl, cocaine, and crack during a long-term undercover investigation. File photo courtesy of DA’s office
“Narcotics are wreaking havoc in our communities, and with these arrests, we have broken up an alleged drug-dealing ring that was making life intolerable for the people of Jackson Heights,” Katz said.
Lopez was a major target of the investigation that was conducted by Detective John Michael Schramm, the NYPD’s Queens North Narcotic Bureau, and the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Lopez was additionally charged with using a child to commit a controlled substance offense.
According to the indictment and investigation, which began in August 2023, the Queens Borough North Narcotics squad began a probe into drug dealing along a residential block of 95th Street in Jackson Heights. Undercover officers conducted buys of cocaine, crack, and fentanyl between Aug. 3, 2023, and Dec. 18, 2024. Most of the purchases took place on 95th Street between 35th and 37th Avenues in Jackson Heights and many went down openly on the street.
In one instance, Lopez allegedly told an undercover officer making a fentanyl buy to hand $500 in cash to a child, who appeared to be approximately 8 years old. The officer was instructed to retrieve the fentanyl he just purchased from Lopez from a bag placed on the mirror of a nearby parked car. In another instance, Lopez allegedly left a plastic bag of narcotics on the windshield of a truck for the undercover officer to pick up.
In total, officers purchased 88.5 grams of fentanyl, 85.9 grams of cocaine, and 4.5 grams of crack. The street value of the drugs totaled $12,905.
Lopez and Fernandez were apprehended on April 1, Rosario was taken into custody on April 8,
Aurandzeb, Moncayo, and Romero were arrested on April 9 and Rodriguez on April 11 by Queens North Narcotics Bureau.
If convicted of the top count, Lopez faces a potential maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. His bail was set at $200K cash and $350K bond. Queens Supreme Court Justice Karen Gopee ordered Lopez, Rosario, and Fernandez to return to court on May 7 and she ordered Rodriguez, Aurandzeb, Moncayo, and Romero to return to court on May 5.
“As alleged, these defendants sold deadly fentanyl along with cocaine and crack on or near a residential street in Jackson Heights,” Katz said. “The transactions took place in plain view and, in one case, are alleged to have involved a child who accepted money for fentanyl to be provided to the undercover officer.”
If convicted of the top count, Rosario faces a potential maximum sentence of 12 years in prison, and Rodriguez faces up to 15 years imprisonment. Fernandez, Aurandzeb, Moncayo, and Romero each face a potential maximum sentence of nine years in prison.
“I thank my Major Economic Crimes Bureau and the NYPD, especially the undercover officers, for their work on this case,” Katz said.
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