BRONX MAN IS SENTENCED TO A TERM OF UP TO TWENTY-YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR SELLING DRUGS NEAR A SCHOOL

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 23 year-old Bronx man has been sentenced to a term of up to twenty years imprisonment for selling drugs near a school in 2003.

Jose Santana, of 1408 Webster Avenue, was convicted last December of five counts of Criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school grounds. State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy sentenced Santana, a predicate felon, to an indeterminate term of ten to twenty years imprisonment.

This conviction and sentence, is the result of a seven month joint investigation called "Operation Good Neighbor" from May to October 2003, with the NYPDs Bronx Narcotics Division. Twenty three drug dealers, including members of four independent "drug crews" operating within the 46th Precinct were arrested. All except two of the defendants were affiliated with organizations identified as The 7-Up crew, The East 176th Street Crew, The 247 Mount Hope Place Crew, and The Mount Hope / Monroe Avenue Crew. All of those arrested have now been convicted. An additional subject is currently in federal custody.

The defendant was convicted of five separate one-hundred dollar sales of crack cocaine to the same undercover officer between June and October 2003.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Kapp of the Narcotics Bureau.