NEW ROCHELLE, NY (February 18, 2023) — After days of police surveillance last fall in the parking garage at The Stella apartment building in downtown New Rochelle, and the involvement of Federal agents, New Rochelle Police deployed more than a dozen officers, including an entire SWAT team, armed with assault rifles, dressed in full tactical gear, on September 19, 2022. As other officers arrested Marques Vasquez in the garage, the SWAT Team used a search warrant to enter an apartment on the 18th floor.
The operation only became know to the public because this reporter was taking his dog Zeke for a walk. While waiting for an elevator down to the lobby, an elevator door opened to reveal the NRPD SWAT Team inside.
The search warrant at the Stella was obtained because police say they believed Vasquez was engaged in criminal activity in his apartment(s) at the Stella.
Recovered in the search of Vasquez’s apartment and on his person during his apprehension and the raid was a Stella 10 LeCount lease agreement in the name of an identity theft victim from Illinois, a Wells Fargo/VISA Credit/Debit card, a Capital One Debit card belonging to (redacted), a New York State ID and a Social Security card belonging to (redacted) and other identity documents including a New Jersey Drivers License, and a 2021 Blue BMW M5 (New Jersey tags: U5O RGJ), a high-performance vehicle with an MSRP of $105,495, a currency counting machine, 3 cell phones, a Macbook laptop and a box of.45 Caliber ammunition (the box holds 50 rounds, but there were only 44 inside) 2 New York State License Plates (HFZ ——) originally returned stolen out of Yonkers, NY, but then found to be valid, and $40,542 in US Currency on Vasquez’s person which was turned over to Department of Homeland Security Special Agents for asset sharing purposes.
Vasquez told investigators he made his money through online investing and gambling.
Police said Vasquez is a known drug dealer with a criminal history consisting of various drug and narcotic charges, including intent to sell. He was observed by police making a daily trip from The Stella in New Rochelle, to Yonkers, to the Bronx, then back to the Stella in New Rochelle.
After his arrest, law enforcement officers sought a warrant to open the cell phones to pull GPS data to track all of Vasquez’s movements.
Vasquez was initially charged with two felonies related to identity theft: Possession of a Forged Instrument – 2nd, a Class D felony and Identity Theft – 1st Degree, a Class D felony.
Unless there is something more to the case, it would appear there has been a significant misallocation of NRPD resources: sending in a SWAT Team to get an ACD for a fake ID?
On Thursday, Marcus E. Vasquez, 27, accepted a negotiated plea from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for pleading guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument – 3rd, an A Misdemeanor, he was sentence to a 1 year Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal (ACD) plus fines and fees by Judge Jared R. Rice. If Vasquez stays out of trouble for a year the conviction will be dismissed and the record sealed.
Vasquez Threatens Reporter
After a court appearance on December 12, 2022, this reporter recorded video of Vasquez leaving the building. This is our standard practice, to record a few seconds of video of defendants in cases we cover to have “file photos” available to add images (screenshots) in articles about the case.
In the video (embedded above), Vasquez can be seen walking away then turning back to confront this reporter, demanding to know why he was being recorded. A short while later, after the video ends, off-camera, Vasquez again confronts this reporter demanding to know why he was recorded.
On February 16, 2023, prior to his sentencing by Judge Rice, Vasquez confronted this reporter for a third time; this time in the hallway outside the criminal courtroom at New Rochelle City Court. He started off saying “you better not record me”. A person with Vasquez joined in and the two of them made various insinuations about what would happen if Vasquez was recorded. This reporter notified a New York State Court Officer, to document the threats; the officer then spoke with Vasquez and the person with him. Vasquez explained to the officer his theory of Constitutional Law as to why he could not be recorded or photographed by a reporter standing on a public sidewalk. There were no further confrontations before or after sentencing and Vasquez left the courthouse without further incident.
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