NEW ROCHELLE, NY (August 19, 2026) — A New Rochelle man who was held on $100,000 bail after being charged with the highest-level drug felony under New York law, along with weapons charges, has been released from custody after his case was sealed, according to a notification from the state’s victim notification system and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
Joel Antonio DeJesus, 35, of New Rochelle, was arrested June 4, 2026, by the New Rochelle City Police Department and arraigned that afternoon before Judge Jared R. Rice in New Rochelle City Court. He pleaded not guilty to seven felony counts, including two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, an A felony alleging possession of crack cocaine in a quantity of eight ounces or more, and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree with Intent to Sell, a B felony. He also faced weapons charges, including Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree for an alleged loaded firearm.
DeJesus appeared June 22 before Judge Michelle Bernstein in New Rochelle City Court, where bail was set at $100,000 cash, a $250,000 insured bond or a $500,000 partially secured surety bond. He remained in custody at the Westchester County Department of Correction in Valhalla following that appearance.
The case, docketed as CR-02533-26, was scheduled for a further appearance on July 27, 2026. A notification through the state’s VINE victim notification system on July 28, 2026, indicated DeJesus had been released from custody, with the release reason listed as “Charges Dropped.”
Talk of the Sound was unable to locate a record of the case or its disposition in the state’s eCourts system, and Westchester County Department of Correction records showed no matching entry under DeJesus’s offender number. Talk of the Sound contacted the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, copying the New Rochelle Police Department, seeking confirmation of the disposition.
A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office confirmed the case had been sealed but said the office could not comment further, citing the sealing.
Under New York law, sealing a criminal case typically follows a disposition favorable to the defendant, such as a dismissal or acquittal, though the sealing order itself does not become public and does not specify the legal basis for the disposition. Talk of the Sound was unable to independently confirm the date or basis of the disposition that preceded DeJesus’s release.
DeJesus was adjudicated a second felony offender in a 2022 case in Albany County Court, where he pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree based in part on a prior New Jersey conviction for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, according to a decision by the Appellate Division, Third Department.
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New Rochelle Man Charged with Highest-Level Drug Felonies, Loaded Firearm (6/5/2026)
New Rochelle City Court Sets $100,000 Bail in DeJesus Drug, Gun Felony Case (6/25/2026)
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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