Corrupt City

by Tra Verdejo

They all began to cry when they heard the captain say, “Good thing we keep that gun with us at all times. The press bought the story about that little nigger carrying a gun and shooting at us first.”

  Laura stopped the CD from playing and asked her husband, “What are we going to do now? Should we call Minister Muhammad?” She had to pinch him to get his attention. “Honey, I’m talking to you. What are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know, baby. I just heard a trigger-happy cop make a racist remark about my son and also implicate himself. So Lucky was telling the truth. Not that I didn’t believe him, but this certifies his side of the story.”

  “So, Who should we call? is my question, babe.”

  “I don’t know. Kim said Lucky didn’t want us to bring this evidence up in court, he wanted us to wait until the civil case. I don’t know, baby. I really don’t know who to trust. Remember how they pulled the plug last time we went public?”

  While the Colemans contemplated their next move, city officials were scratching their heads over a way to respond. Lucky not only blew the whistle on his former partner, he blew the whistle on the city that never sleeps, the mecca of entertainment. New York City had earned a new name, “Corrupt City.”

  Donald “Lucky” Gibson was now officially the number one enemy, but not to the people, because they loved the fact that he had the guts to come forward and expose the truth. The City was real concerned about the allegations against the commissioner and Cardinal Joseph King III had caught the attention of both the Republican and Democratic parties, and there was going to be a discussion on it in a City Hall meeting in two days.

  Even the President of the United States of America made a comment on his weekly radio show, stating, “It saddens me to hear the negative attention the great city of New York is getting. I don’t know all the facts, but I’m gathering there are allegations of corruption and murder. I will be visiting the city soon, meet with both parties, and address exactly what’s going on. I could understand the concerns my fellow New Yorkers are expressing about police brutality, but also as the President of this nation, I must also listen and see all the facts before I make judgment. We all know I cleaned up corruption in the White House, so if we indeed are experiencing corruption, we will clean it up and return the glory back to the City of New York.”

  When Lucky heard the playback audio on the news about the president coming to New York, that really shook him up. He knew he was going to shock the city, but he had no idea the whole country was also going to pay attention to all the drama.

  He quickly headed to the supermarket and spent close to five hundred dollars on groceries. He figured the next few weeks he would have to stay indoors because soon the FBI would also be looking for him.

  When Captain Tuna met up with the commissioner, he was shocked to see two gentlemen in suits there with him. He thought for a second the commissioner had called Internal Affairs on him. He was wrong.

  “I’m glad you finally joined us. Please have a seat.”

  “I didn’t know you were having company over. What’s this all about, Brandon?”

  “Well, first it’s Commissioner Brandon. Address me correctly. I took the liberty of inviting two of my friends from the Bureau. Please meet federal agents William Kuntz and John Pillar.”

  “What the fuck are they doing here? You know we don’t deal with the feds. I’m surprised, Commissioner Brandon. Don’t set me up like this. At least give me a warning first.”

  “You mean like you warned me about all this shit coming out through the media?”

  “You know I didn’t know what was coming. I was also surprised.”

  “You shouldn’t be. I specifically told you to personally destroy all the evidence, not let some fuckin’ monkey do it. You no longer have the situation under control. Agents Kuntz and Pillar will help you find Lucky.”

  “Fuck you! And fuck both of these pigs! Working with the feds is like working with Internal Affairs. I’m not doing it. We will find Lucky and shut his mouth up once and for all.” Tuna got up and headed for the door.

  Tuna didn’t like that the commissioner tried to corner him like a fucking rat. He was going to leave without shaking his friend’s hand. He’d just about had it with all his friends trying to turn on him now that the heat was on. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew the commissioner was trying to figure out a way to escape the allegations, which meant Tuna and his team would have to take the fall.

  Right before Tuna reached the front door of the apartment, Kuntz said, “Tuna, we know where Lucky’s daughter lives.”

  Tuna stopped, turned around, and looked at him up and down, trying to make sure Kuntz wasn’t pulling his tail. “You do. Where?”

  “We will share this information with you if you let us help you catch him. And, for the record, our Bureau is not aware we are here to help. We’re here because our good friend Brandon, excuse me, Commissioner Brandon, asked for our help.”

  That changed the whole ballgame. Tuna knew those agents were there to help find Lucky and kill him. He agreed and told them to drive back with him to meet Speedy and Loose Cannon. He said, “I need to warn both of you guys now. They won’t accept this new partnership peacefully, but once they hear you guys know where his daughter is located, they’ll change their minds.”

  Chapter Twelve

  www.thesmokygun.com

  The next day, after those mysterious envelopes hit the media, more concrete evidence was starting to surface via the Internet. The public had a better idea of what was going on and so far, the rumors were turning out to be true. Also, according to a few reliable sources, those envelopes came from Donald “Lucky” Gibson himself. In total, five envelopes were sent, and all five, along with a few pictures, were posted on a Web site called www.thesmokygun.com.

  This Web site specialized in exposing high-profile cases. They were the first ones to post the video of an R&B singer pissing on little girls. They’d also posted all the mugshots of every time a celebrity was arrested. The Web site had a breakdown of each envelope.

  Envelope #1: The State vs. Rell Davis: Rell was charged and sentenced for a double murder and received a life sentence for each murder. Rell has maintained his innocence since day one. He was convicted of killing Rodger and Connie Newton.

  Rodger ran one of the most successful realty companies in Manhattan. His estate was worth over three hundred and fifty million dollars. He and his wife had a major gambling problem, and according to the information received from Lucky, he lost his life over a major horse bet. Rodger had reportedly received a few tips on the Belmont race and he sold his information to numerous high rollers, including the Italian mob.

  After the race was over, Rodger’s tips were off, and he owed millions, not to mention the five million he personally bet as well. Rodger took his time paying his debt, and that’s when the mob hired Captain Tuna and his crew to kill him and his wife.

  Documents show Speedy found Rell’s profile and noticed he was just released from prison after serving four years out of a six-year bid for attempted murder after a robbery went wrong. What attracted Speedy to Rell’s profile was, he was charged for entering someone’s home and shooting the victim while they slept.

  Rell was a perfect scapegoat for the job Captain Tuna wanted to pull. Lucky provided pictures and written documents supporting the allegations that Rell was watched for a few days before he was framed. Lucky also provided pictures and audio tapes supporting his claim that he and his former partners were the ones who pulled the trigger and killed both Rodger and Connie. In one of those tapes, you could hear these crooked cops laughing about sending Rell back to jail for their crime.

  The night they killed both Rodger and Connie, they made sure it was the same night Rell was home alone and had no alibi. Captain Tuna made up a bogus witness report about an old lady seeing a young Black man matching Rell’s description running from the house and jumping in a black Maxima, which of course also matched Rell’s black car.

  Two days later,
at 2:00 a.m., Captain Tuna was able to get a warrant, and they raided his house while Rell was asleep. They forced Rell into touching the murder weapon and leaving his fingerprints on it. This case received a lot of media attention because Rodger wasn’t only a millionaire, he was also a well-respected man, who ran one of the biggest real estate companies in Manhattan.

  Rell, a convicted felon, lost his case before the trial even started. The DA’s job was easy on this one because of all the bogus evidence pointing at Rell. Nicholas McCarthy, his lawyer, held a press conference and stated that Rell was expected to be released from jail within days and he said his client is 100 percent certain he will sue the City and police department for the injustice against him. There were already rumors circulating that the City, not wanting to drag out this embarrassment in court has already reached out to Nicholas McCarthy about a settlement.

  Envelope #2: The State vs. Juan “Pito” Medina. He was charged with kingpin charges and received life without possibility of parole. Pito’s case played with heavy rotation in the media as well. A high-profile gangster who partied with all the major superstars and politicians, you would always find him in the front row of any sports arena, concert, or award show. Pito had it all—good looks, money, and power.

  If he didn’t have felonies on his record, he could easily run for a Senate seat. There were rumors for years that he had cops on his payroll. Pito also claimed those drugs found in his backyard were not his.

  Pito was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He first came to the United States when he was nine years old. His father was also a major drug dealer. Pito’s father risked both their lives in order to live in the United States. He jumped on an airplane with over two kilos of heroin in his stomach, and also made little Pito swallow a few balloons.

  At nine, he was already trafficking drugs. That is one of the few memories Pito had of his father. Two days after arriving in New York, Pito’s father was killed by the same people who’d hired him to bring the drugs in.

  Pito lived with relatives until he was old enough to run his own drug corner in Washington Heights. One corner led to another, and before you knew it, Pito ran a twenty-block radius in Washington Heights.

  They nicknamed him, Mr. Broadway. The blocks he didn’t run were still his, because those dealers were buying off him anyway. One summer night while Pito was at his Rockland County home with his wife and kids, the ATF raided it. After a two-hour search, they found ten kilos of cocaine buried in a 20 x 10 hole underneath a shed in his backyard. This tunnel, which included electricity and a phone line, cost over a million dollars to build, and was large enough to store close to two hundred kilos of cocaine. It was also designed to keep the drugs fresh and contain the smell.

  When Pito first built the underground stash, it was for drugs and guns. As his empire grew, he built a few stash houses, so he didn’t need to store his own drugs. Instead, he used it to keep his money. It was basically a giant safe that stood full at all times. Pito claimed those drugs were not his, and that the underground safe was actually a panic room for his family, just in case his family was in danger of a fire or intruders.

  He also claimed over three million dollars was stolen by the police, but those allegations were dismissed in trial. Pito also accused the cops of extortion for all the protection money he was forced to pay over the years. In fact, he was the first one to go public about Captain Tuna and his rogue team terrorizing the city. Those allegations of corruption were also dismissed at his trial. No one believed a two-time felon, whose nine-to-five was to run a drug cartel in Harlem.

  Edwin Gustavo, Pito’s attorney, received new evidence from Lucky proving Pito had paid for protection and providing information. Lucky had sent audio conversations between him and his old partners talking about who was driving to pick up the money from Pito. They each took turns.

  Lucky also sent Captain Tuna cell phone records, which showed a total of over three hundred calls to Pito’s cell number.

  There was also a recording of Tuna saying he was going to turn Pito over to the ATF squad as a favor to the commissioner. Tuna said the police department was looking for a way to bounce back and clear up their image after they went through an ugly trial about shooting an unarmed African immigrant forty-one times in the Bronx. That’s when Captain Tuna decided to raid Pito’s house, enter the underground safe, and plant the five kilos of cocaine. Those recordings would justify Pito’s claim of corruption.

  Attorney Edwin Gustavo had his hands full. Getting Pito out of jail wasn’t an easy task. He had two felonies on his record and was a known criminal who ran one of the largest drug operations in Washington Heights. Edwin Gustavo was just hoping to at least get Pito a new trial and revisit his bail status.

  With a little bit of luck, Pito could walk free from jail or receive a new reduced sentence. He’d already served five years. Though no new evidence had surfaced clearing him of the drugs found in his basement, he still maintained they were planted. With a new trial, Edwin could hopefully swing the jury on his side and have all charges dropped. But there was still a lot of cash and a few guns found that did belong to Pito.

  His attorney was hoping to get the jury to buy the “illegal search warrant” theory. Pito knew Tuna must have snitched on him, because they were the only two who knew about the underground stash, so he decided to blow the whistle on Tuna. At first no one believed Pito. In fact, the press and the public barely paid attention. But with all the new evidence, everyone was eager to hear the truth. Pito’s lawyer knew, if he played the right cards, his client would be in the streets pretty soon.

  Envelope #3: The State vs. The Wiggins Family. In 1999, the Street Crime Unit was working on an anonymous tip about a two-family house in the Bronx that was selling guns at wholesale prices. At the time, Officer Tuna only had two years’ experience with S.C.U. They raided this house at four o’clock in the morning.

  Inside lived an African American family of six, two parents, three kids, and an uncle that lived in the basement. Instead of staking out the house to make sure there were guns inside, they pressured the judge to sign off on a search warrant without any concrete evidence. Only thirty-six hours went by between receiving the tip and the actual raid.

  When the front door of the Wiggins’ house flew open and the agents marched in yelling, “Get on the floor,” with their guns drawn, all hell broke loose.

  The Wiggins were caught off guard, so of course the father, Joe Wiggins, and his brother Jonathan put up a fight. Joe didn’t know what was going on, and he briefly fought off two agents, knocking them down to the ground. Once Joe heard his wife and kids yelling, he stopped throwing punches and ran toward them.

  The agents didn’t allow him to reach his family. Joe ignored the officers’ plea to freeze, so they shot him three times in the back, killing him in front of his family. The officer claimed Joe was running to retrieve a weapon, which was never found.

  Meanwhile, Uncle Jonathan was still fighting, even after he realized they were agents. Two minutes into the struggle and one minute after Joe was shot, Jonathan was shot as well in his lower abdomen, the bullet rupturing his spine, and paralyzing him for life.

  After the smoke cleared, they realized they must have raided the wrong house, because they didn’t find any drugs or guns. This case went under the radar for years. No one had ever heard of this incident before, not until Lucky brought it to the media’s attention. The reason for the silence was because the City of New York had paid an undisclosed seven-figure settlement to the Wiggins.

  A reporter tried to reach out to the Wiggins after he read thesmokygun.com report, but they refused to talk about the raid or settlement. But not Lucky. He revealed some insight as to why the Wiggins were reluctant to speak to the press. When they received their settlement, the City gave them additional money to keep their mouth shut forever. They even made the Wiggins sign an agreement that if they ever leaked any information, they would get sued and would have to return the settlement, plus interest
. Lucky sent in documents highlighting the parts of the settlement that threatened the Wiggins.

  Lucky didn’t have much information on this case because he wasn’t around in 1999, but he was able to steal documents off Tuna’s computer. Lucky knew the press would jump all over this story, because they’d missed it in 1999.

  Envelope #4: The State vs. Cardinal Joseph King III. This case was sensitive and went under the radar just like the Wiggins’ case. The cardinal was the same priest who’d married the mayor and his wife, and the one, after the 9/11 attacks, to organize so many relief programs, generating millions in funds for those financially handicapped after the attacks.

  Joseph, in many New Yorkers’ eyes, was considered a hero. People kept saying he should be the next pope. He didn’t hesitate to get involved in community-related issues, and he loved the spotlight. Being on TV so much, Joseph was considered a celebrity and received rock-star treatment everywhere he went. But he kept a very large basket of dirty laundry.

  Lucky and Tango were investigating this high-profile escort service based in Queens, but servicing the entire city of New York. One night, they followed this limo when they saw two girls jump in. The limo drove for about twenty-five minutes and stopped at the Holiday Inn off the Long Island Expressway, a few minutes into Long Island. The limo was parked in the parking lot for a few minutes.

  While Lucky and Tango watched from the bushes, they didn’t see anyone jump in, so they thought the girls were doing the limo driver. Right before Lucky was about to get a closer look and snap pictures, he noticed headlights pulling into the parking lot, so he jumped back in the bushes.

  Once the headlights got closer, they noticed it was an expensive luxury car pulling up next to the limo. Someone from the backseat jumped out and got in the limo. Lucky and Tango quickly recognized his face and were both shocked to see him jump in the limo. That someone was the cardinal Joseph King III. Because he loved the spotlight so much, everyone knew his face. That was why he was picking hotels in deserted areas where truckers rested, to avoid any identity surprises.