The U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan released details yesterday about the arrest of an East Village building superintendent, identified as Daniel Jones, who allegedly sold one of his tenants the bag of heroin that caused his overdose, according to unsealed court documents.
The sale and overdose occurred in an unnamed building around First Avenue and 12th Street.
Here's the official news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office:
On November 18, 2017, Robert Martin Hill, a 54-year-old resident of Manhattan, overdosed in his apartment. The NYPD began investigating Mr. Hill’s death. An autopsy conducted following Mr. Hill’s death revealed that he died from a lethal dose of opioids. Four glassine bags were recovered from Mr. Hill’s pants pocket, which had the word “Gorilla” and a picture of a gorilla stamped in black ink. The residue in the glassine bags tested positive for heroin. The NYPD also obtained Mr. Hill’s cellphone.
As detailed in the Complaint, the NYPD was able to trace the last completed call that Mr. Hill made before he overdosed on November 18, 2017, to a cellphone used by Jones. The NYPD learned that Jones was the superintendent of the building where Mr. Hill resided, and that Jones continued to sell heroin near that building in the East Village.
In March 2018, the NYPD made undercover buys of heroin from Jones on two occasions. During the second undercover buy, Jones stated that he sold heroin to Mr. Hill, that he knew Mr. Hill recently died, and that he sold Mr. Hill heroin that was packaged in glassines with a gorilla stamp.
Prosecutors charged Jones, 53, with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, and with conspiring to distribute heroin. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.
