"Cop Killer - Part 3" The Private iTeam by John S LES ©

"Cop Killer" by John S LES

The next morning, after my morning martial arts workout.  I turned on the TV news, to play while I worked out.  The NYPD had already began distributing their surveilance video of DeLorenzo walking in the street and following Santiago into the corner apartment building.  Santiago is wearing his puffy, maroon jacket with the clear wording of the Washington Redskins on the back and Native American symbol on the front by the heart.  As DeLorenzo goes in behind him putting over a radio call, you suddenly see him backing out and taking shots to his chest.  Then you see Santiago now wearing his hood over his head, his back to the camera, and with the gun in his left hand pointing over the head of the fallen DeLorenzo whose body is supine and clutching his chest.  The video then stops.

I headed down Bell boulevard and into my office as normal.  I knew that with this news video out and the $50,000 reward being posted, it was going to be a heck of an uphill battle to get to Santiago before the police did.  It was 8:30 and Marti had already opened up and watched the downloaded video of a then unknown two white males who laid the dead rat by my doorstep.  She also downloaded the video that the police released of the DeLorenzo shooting.

Fortunately for me, I have long range, high optic cameras facing either corner of my block from on top of my roof.  My street had stop signs and traffic lights at both ends.  This unknown male then got into the passenger side of a blue Lexus, driven by another white male and took off.  To keep from standing out, the car obeyed the stop signs and traffic light coming towards my house and stopped once more down the street leaving my house.  The camera was able to catch partial digits coming and going...just enough to put together the whole plate.

Once I was in the office, I began listening to my work and cell phone voice messages.  I had five messages from my father and two from Captain Dunlap.  Dunlap was my father's lieutenant during part of his career as a detective.  Both were refering to my behavior and conversation with Lt. Simmons.  To sum it up, they both berated me for coming across very disrespectful to the Lt at his precinct.  I returned both their calls and explained my position at that moment - of my rights being disrespected regardless of any police investigation for a cop killer.

"People in this city have rights.  Those rights don't have to be trampled over in order to find this cop killer.  If the precinct police could reach out and repair some of the damaged community relationships first, they wouldn't have to go at people with storm trooper boots to get what they needed to find Santiago.  My only problems right now, is following through with these allegations of bad cops in that precinct, and identifying the two men involved with laying a dead rat on my doorstep.  I have their faces and license plate on video."

Captain Dunlap was as unhappy with my allegations as he was with the act of retaliation.  Whatever information that occurred in yesterdays' meeting at the precinct should not have gotten out so fast that it finished with a retaliatory act that came to my doorstep in another borough that night.  In addition, he told me that IAB did conduct an investigation of allegations of dirty cops at the 14th, however they came up with nothing.

"But this rat thing at your doorstep is disturbing.  It just happened too fast for it to be word of mouth.  Gio, before you go to anyone in the department about this, give me two days and just speak to your father first.  I will get back to you guys on this.  But for now, do us all a favor and go back and make things right with Lt. Simmons.  We need to squash that immediately.  Then do what you gotta do.  Even if his hands are tied at his precinct, Simmons is a good man, and so is his CO, Captain Hennessy.  He and a lot of people could take a big hit if this falls the wrong way."

When I hung up the phone although my ego didn't agree with my father and Capt. Dunlap, the logical side of my mind did.  Whatever next steps I was going to make, I couldn't have everyone in the police department forming a dislike of my agency.  If we uncovered any type of corruption, which led to DeLorenzo's death, we were going to need to present it in such a manner members of the department would be more compelled to clean house, rather than focus anger at my agency.  I agreed to apologize and had Marti put a call in to Simmons that I sent my apologies and would meet him in person to say it to his face if he had a minute. 
 

The rest of my team walked in well before 9am.  Everyone came in focused and aware of all that went on with Darren and I in Manhattan.  Then I added the incident with the rat being laid at my door. We knew that from here on we were going to have to bring our "A" game to look into any possible police corruption at the 14th precinct and how this might have led to DeLorenzo's death.

"Look we're not taking on the entire police department, so let's get that straight.  What we are here to do is find out if' there is some corruption and if that led to DeLorenzo getting killed and Santiago getting framed.  Our first priority is to see if we can find this kid, Santiago.  If we can get a straight story from him of what happened that night, then perhaps that will have a domino effect to the rest of this debacle."

From then on we all went into our conference room and I activated our SMART Board.  From there on I laid out our basic mode of direction.  We needed whatever public information facts we could find through the Internet.  We needed whatever information we could get from our people interviews. Lastly, we would also need information that both Grace and Marti couldn't dig up, or get without raising red flags.  That's where Edgerfeld or "Edge" would come in.  Getting someone's motor vehicle information via the DMV was already turned into a series of hoops and authorizations   Getting information on a car that possibly belonged to a New York City police officer would definitely send off flags and consequently alert the police department.  Only Edge knew how to get around those databases without setting off alerts.

First, we drew up  what we already knew.  DeLorenzo responded without a partner or backup to follow a low level street dealer.  Why?

Noelle responded to my question first, "Perhaps he had such a grudge against the guy, he simply wanted to take him down that night?"

I handed out the copies of the CCRB reports that Marti had been able to get copies of on DeLorenzo, "Yeah, but just from some of these initial CCRB reports, it looks like how I had guessed, DeLorenzo was a bit of a lone ranger type.  He seemed like the type who took a lot of chances."

Chris, "Okay then, so who are the people who might want him killed?  Let's just do what we always do.  Let's start out with a clean slate, make a list and start from that."

I went on the SMART Board and began the drawing.  DeLorenzo was at the top.  His wife at the left side.  His partners on the other side.  Drug dealers below.

"Lady and gents, either one of these branches, or all three of these branches wanted DeLorenzo out of the picture.  We must assume the negative - that all three branches are possible suspects.  There could even be a fourth branch we don't know about it.  All that we do know is that everything from the radio call, to that grainy NYPD surveillance video camera - points to Santiago."  I pulled up the news video and we all watched it again.  After watching it a second time, there was just something about it that bothered me.  I couldn't put my finger on it, even though it seemed very convincing.

Folks, Chris and I will look for Santiago over in Jamaica.  Darren you can use your street contacts in Harlem and the west side to see what they will tell you about dirty cops.  Just be careful not to put yourself between the drug dealers and the cops if there is a war going on.  Noelle, I need you to track down DeLorenzo's wife, talk to their neighbors.  We have to find out how and where they spent their money.  If he was a dirty cop, then the extra money is going to come up somewhere.  Grace and Marti can continue to follow up any leads on public information online."

"Gio," Chris stopped me before we left the conference room, "We're definitely going to need Edge's help. I mean to try to get information on these cops is going to send up so many red flags.  Even if we tried to hack their systems, we would be up against some real jail time if we show them."

"I know, Chris, I know."

On our way out of the conference room, Marti gave me the list of calls that came in for me.
"Gio, Lt. Simmons.  He said you could have five minutes of his time if you were anywhere near the city later this afternoon. You also got a call from Linda Walters.  I forgot to tell you that she called yesterday and asked about the name of your tailor, which I told her - "

"You did what?"

"Well, Gio, she was very nice on phone and really very polite.  She just asked me where you bought your suits from and I told her."

I didn't know what Linda was up to at that moment, but I could only imagine.  "Alright.  Any word from Edge yet?"

"No.  Not a single call back."



Chris and I were the last to leave the office as we hopped into my Corvette.  As soon as I got into my car, my cell phone rang.  It was Edge.

"Gio.  Don't go anywhere.  Keep the car in park.  The police put a tracking device on your car and Darren's car.  Don't worry.  I already sent him a message.  He told me that he was going into Harlem and that it wouldn't matter.  Even if they follow him there, they aren't going to find anything."

"Yeah, he's right."

"Good.  They put it on your cars while you were parked by the precinct yesterday.  So whether or not you plan to apologize to Lt. Simmons, understand that he was still under orders to screw you.  Now let's get off these cell phones and meet me by the pier.  Take Chris' car.  Don't worry, it's clean."

It took us all of five minutes to switch into Chris' car, a black Nissan Altima and drove over to the pier at the Bayside Marina.  Neither of us could figure out where Edge was parked, or which car he was in on Bell Blvd, watching us when we had left the office.  Either way, we were now going to wait at least a couple more minutes for him to show up at the parking lot of the Bayside Marina pier.  The pier was closed and less than a handful of cars were even parked over there.

Chris and I waited a couple of minutes, but there was no signs of him.  Sometimes Edge liked the cloak and dagger routine just too much.  A couple minutes more went by before a flower delivery van pulled up next to us.  It was Edge.

"Come on, you guys, hop in."
"A flower delivery truck?  At the pier?  Edge, you gotta be kidding me?"

Once we were inside, he laid out all that he had learned.  After Darren and I had left the 14th precinct, there was only cell phone activities with Lt. Simmons to anyone in his command.  However, there was significant activity among members of DeLorenzo's Anti-Crime unit.  It's a twelve man unit.  About eight of them had high cellular activity.  I mean, not just with the ones who were working with them and in the same proximity, using the same cell towers.  I mean, they had high activity with two other members who also live in Bellrose, on the Long Island side."

Chris put the two bits of information together, "Bellrose is only 10 to 15 minutes from here, tops.  Do you have their names?"

"Yes I do.  Both names came back to the driver and passenger of the car that dropped the rat at your doorstep last night.  Police officer, Kevin Sanders was the driver and Steve Baczkowski, was the ratter.  I already downloaded an encrypted file with Marti.  She can distribute the rest to you guys.  For now, just leave the Corvette here and take care of whatever you gotta do.  Remember, you cannot use this information in court.  Just use it as guide to - "

"Steer ourselves in the right direction."  I could never tell why Edge insisted upon repeating that line to me when he gave us hacked information.  It was more like for his own self entertainment.

"Fine, Gio.  Very funny.  Anyway, you guys have to leave my van now before some cop pulls up and stops us for possible drug sales or a trying to commit a sexual act in a car?"

Chris and I stepped out and in a flash - he was gone.  But he had left us a ton of good information that it would have taken us days if not weeks to get and a lot of IOU's.  We had the list of the names from DeLorenzo's 12 man Anti Crime team.  As Chris and I proceeded to St. Joseph's to try to make contact with Santiago, we all knew now for sure, that at least eight members of that Anti Crime team were probably dirty cops.  All we had to do was find out what they stole and where the money went to after they stole.  More than likely, it would be drugs.  But where was the money?

When we arrived at St. Joseph's church, it was as if we were expected.  We were hustled into a back room of the church and down a flight of stairs where Santiago was staying, with only a cot and candle.  Chris and I spoke to him as friends of father Manuel.  Santiago was well aware that his time might be running out and that sooner or later the police might find him if he ventured to leave his hiding spot in this part of the church.

"Yo man, I never killed DeLorenzo.  I hated his guts and wanted to see him dead, but I never killed him!"

"They have you on video, Santiago.  How do you explain a police video camera of you holding a gun over his head after he chases you into a building and then you shoot him as he backs out?"

"Bro, Gio man, I went into that building because I was told to by my boss, Mike Dupree, to go into that building if I had a problem with DeLorenzo that night.  My boss said he would have some cameras inside to catch DeLorenzo shaking me down for my stash and then we could blackmail him.  So when DeLorenzo saw me, I called my boss and led DeLorenzo to the damn building, yo.  'Cept when I went in there, there weren't any cameras.  I got jumped, and hit over the head from behind, by I don't know who.  By the time I woke up, I was in a west side dumpster on 137 street.  My phone was ringing, with everyone telling me that the cops was after me for killing DeLorenzo downtown."

"What did you do to make DeLorenzo go after you like that?"

"DeLorenzo was heated over my last complaint that I gave the CCRB about him and his Anti-Crime team, the midnight and evening shift dudes.  They all criminals themselves, man, worse than me."

"What complaint was that?"

"Well, they used to round us up, even give us a beat down and take our drugs.  I never officially mentioned the drug part in my first four complaints.  I mean our boss said it was the cost of doing business.  Then one day I just got tired of the beat down.  Losing those drugs is like losing money out of my own pockets. We took the loss, and still had to pay our boss to get fresh stash.  He said we needed to run faster.  So I started beefing to the CCRB on DeLorenzo and he went nuts on me every time he saw me in the street.  Told me to get off his streets.  I couldn't work for about a month because of him."

Then Chris inquired, "Why didn't CCRB just take your complaints to IAB?

"Say what?  Man, DeLorenzo and his crew got IAB in their back pockets.  DeLorenzo's uncle is a chief downtown and his father's brother-in-law runs IAB.  DeLorenzo and his crew knew their way around all of the laws."

Then I pressed him, "Where did they sell their drugs?  What did they do with their cash?"

"I don't know, yo.  You should ask them?  But I bet they don't have any bills or debt?  Them dirty pigs spent a lot of their time upstate.  Maybe they spent it up there?  Used to laugh in our faces about stealing our drugs on their stop and frisks and nobody gave a damn.  They even stole when they did door kick downs too."

"And you only reported one time to the CCRB that these guys were taking your drugs?"

"Yo, Gio man...I'm a corner drug dealer.  Who do you think the judge and jury is going to believe?  Me or the nephew of a commissioner?"


Thankfully Santiago allowed us to record the conversation.  As Chris and I slipped out of that church, we weren't sure if we had just recorded the last words of a dead man, or if we had just spoken to a ghost.  It was a little past noon and my phone was filled with messages from Marti, Noelle and Linda Walters.  There was still no word back from Darren as we headed back to the office.

30 minutes later, as soon as I walked into the office, I could see that there was a clothing delivery.  Marti explained that it was two Armani suits, one a tuxedo and the other a black suit.

"Gio, she sent the suits with an invitation to an art exhibit in Milan this weekend.  She wanted you to go with her as her personal bodyguard.  She also asked if you were available for dinner tonight at ESpeakeasy in Manhattan.  They have some of the exhibits there as well."

Chris immediately started breaking my chops about suits.  "Gio, you have to go?  She sent you two new suits from your talor?  You gotta go.  When you get back you can tell us what it's like to be a Boy Toy for a weathly babe."

"I can't go to Milan?  We gotta break this case.  We just scratched the surface of this thing."  No sooner than I said that, Linda called and I took her call.

"Listen, Gio, I know you think I'm coming at you really fast.  My life is changing.  I've tried calling you today and yesterday, and I know you're busy.  I heard about yesterday.  I'm sorry about that.  But before you make any decision on Milan, will you at least join me for an early dinner at ESpeakeasy and we can at least discuss some business?"

"Listen Linda, we really don't need to discuss this.  I can't go to - "

"Gio, tell me, for tonight for our dinner, should I go dressed in black or white?"

"Well, you had black on the other day.  You looked good in black."

"Good choice!  That's exactly the color I chose to wear this morning.  I'll send you a picture to your phone so that you can see me when you walk in the door.  Sent."

I looked down at her message and opened it up.

"Did you get my picture, Gio?"

"Yes, I did.  Linda - "

"I'll see you at 5:30 tonight then?"

"That's right during rush hour, it's going to be hell to get in town before that time."

"Then come earlier.  Stay at my apartment and my driver can take us both there?"

"I'll see you at 5:30."



I knew I would have to leave no later than 3:30 before the traffic flow on the bridges and tunnel would change, but I had to wait for Darren and Noelle to get back.  It was now 1pm.  They walked in right on the dot and we all went back into our conference room to put what we had all together.

Darren was able to confirm that there was street talk about Anti-Crime cops stealing money from dealers on the west side.  Darren had a couple conversations with cops he knew working Vice, that all investigations into dirty cops on the lower westside all lead to dead ends.  Mike Dupree worked for a couple of other drug dealers, but recently those guys had joined up with a guy from Queens who hit the big time.  DaShawn "Money" MacDaniel.

Money MacDaniel, grew up in in Fresh Meadows, Queens and attended Francis Lewis high school, before his mother and father broke up and he moved with his mother to LeFrak City.  There Money started working for the LeFrak City drug dealer Domino Jones.  Money moved up the Domino Jones chain of command due to his penchant for sudden violence and his uncanny ability to handle money.  With only two years of high school education at Frances Lewis, his teachers said that he had already aced the New York state math proficiency test as a sophomore.

Noelle did manage to drive out to Massapequa, Long Island, where DeLorenzo and his wife lived and posed as a reporter for the New Yorker looking to do a biography on Anthony DeLorenzo.  The neighbors told her of how the DeLorenzo's once were seen in his and hers Corvettes, but apparently sold those cars in place of having his and hers Lexus'.  They also had an outdoor swimming pool, a 750,000 dollar house by the water and the neighbors said that they spent a lot of their vacation time going upstate to a resort.

Grace and Marti also crossed checked this information, with the names of other members of DeLorenzo's Anti-Crime unit.  Posed as telemarketers who were cold calling, they found out that most of the eight names on the list also had credit card bills from most of the same mini malls and gas stations that were upstate going towards Coxsackie, NY.  We placed the purchases on the SMART Board and used mapping software.  All of their credit card purchases centered around a five year old family resort called Kingston Gardens.

Before I headed into Manhattan to speak with Lt. Simmons, return his tracking device and have dinner with Linda, I told everyone that we needed to now concentrate on two things.  First, we needed to know and understand how and or why Mike Dupree had partnered with Money MacDaniel.  We also needed to find out how Kingston Gardens resort had been funded in it's build up.

"We have to follow the money folks.  Because that is what's behind all of this."


My drive into the NYC was pretty quick.  It's always better if you get in before 3pm.  Simmons did meet with me in coffee room in the precinct on the first floor.  He gave a general apology for Darren and I getting roughed up exiting St Emerics yesterday.  I then apologized for saying things that showed disrespect of him and of officers in his precinct.  I then handed over both tracking devices that he seemed to be expecting anyway.

"Sorry about that too Gio, but it was worth a shot for us.  You two guys may have lead us to dead ends, but we traced Santiago up at a church out in Jamaica, Queens.  He used a phone at the Rectory to call his mother not knowing that we already had all phones to his family members - cell and home - being traced.  Once he get's brought into Manhattan tonight, they'll have it on the 11pm news."

"Oh, so you have him in custody?"

"Yes."

"Did he mention anything about a Mike Dupree?"

"Yes, he did.  But Mike Dupree was found dead in his apartment about an hour ago.  What do you know about Dupree and Santiago?"

"Nothing, Lt."


An hour later I was back at Linda's apartment, waiting to be driven down to E Speakeasy restaurant and lounge.  E Speakeasy use to be the home of one of the hottest and hippest clubs in all of New York City.  It still has it's reputation for being a nice quiet spot for people of different social status to stop in and have a great meal.  More meals and socializing than drinking and dancing.  Pool tables and lounge chairs and wifi replaced the large dance area that E Speakeasy used to be known for after hours.

Linda and I received first class treatment all the way into the restaurant.  She frequented the place and help support artists who works adorned the walls.  One of her favorite artists on display there was Antonella Mason.

"Gio, I just love Antonella's expressionism and symbolism   She's not afraid to reveal the essence of things in so many layers.  There's a museum in Milan that's going to exhibit some of her work this weekend along with some other artists.  I love showing support and turning up in places where people will least expect me to appear.  I know you have a big case on your hands, but can you take the weekend off and come with me?  I promise, promise, promise to fly us back here in the States by Monday.  I just want to support Antonella.  She does such beautiful visceral work."

"Linda, I can't leave my team here and go flying off to Italy.  Plus, you're still married!  How would that look?"

"Gio, my philanderous husband and his conniving attorney looked at all the evidence you obtained, and the fact that I have $100 million more reasons to keep paying more lawyers to bleed him out of his own money in court over the next 10 years - they jointly decided to move him out instantly.  He took a deal so he could keep his money, save face in the media and move onto his other flings. By October, New York will be a no contest state anyway.  He's happy and I'm happy.  We have no kids because I'm barren.  I might still consider adopting instead of baby sitting my niece and nephew on the weekends in the Hamptons."

"Okay Linda.  If I get this case resolved by Friday, which probably won't happen - then I'll go with you...as your bodyguard.  Separate rooms."

"Fine, Gio.  Keep playing me.  I've been hitting on you since I hired you.  What the hell does it take to get your attention?  Older men want me to wear on their arm.  Younger men only want me for my money.  But you, you only would want me because you feel I am someone of value to the world and to you.  But you won't even give me a chance.  You keep rejecting my advances."

"Linda, if our positions were different and I came onto you like you have been to me, especially these past two days - first words out of your mouth to me would be that your affections couldn't be bought.  And that lingerie picture via text message, might have gotten me a sexual harassment charge - "

"Huh!  In another life!  I'd pay a million just to see you wearing nothing but your birthday suit."

"Here you go, ignoring what I'm saying to you."

"Gio, you're right.  But, don't chastise me for now going to extreme measures to get your attention.  If me flashing my money bothers you, we can walk back to my place or take a bus.  I don't care, Gio.  I just want to be with you.  But only if you want to be around me."

"Well, I'm here aren't I?  Let's just take it easy.  I'm not going anywhere."

"Great!  Now tell me if I can help you with your case?"

"You can't help me with this case."

"Why not?  Does it involve money?"

"Yes it does.  Drug dealer money."

"Oh that's easy.  Everyone who's big in drug trafficking always wants to wash their dirty money clean.  You can only put so much of it under your mattress  It's a cash only business.  There's still a centuries old high demand for it and the perfect place to launder your money is with a bank or a startup business or both.  Banks use the money to cover their losses and startup businesses use the money to grow from dirt to a castle."

I looked her straight into her eyes.

"Well I'll be damned."