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Bharara said that 49-year-old Nicholas Tartaglione had been charged in a five-count indictment for his participation in a drug conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and for the murders of four men to further his business efforts.
According to the indictment that was filed in White Plains Federal Court on Tuesday, in April, Tartaglione killed Martin Luna, Urbano Santiago, Miguel Luna and Hector Gutierrez at the Likquid Lounge in Chester in Orange County to further his cocaine distribution plan.
“While all murders tear at the fabric of our communities, when the alleged perpetrator of a gangland-style, quadruple homicide is a former police officer, that strikes at the heart of civilized society,” Bharara stated. “As alleged, Nicholas Tartaglione, a former Briarcliff Manor police officer, participated in the senseless murder of four people in a bar in Chester.
“These four men had not been seen or heard from since the day of their alleged murder. We hope that today’s arrest brings some measure of comfort to the victims’ families and loved ones.”
This isn’t the first time Tartaglione has been on the wrong side of the law. The late Clay Tiffany, an Ossining resident and host of the public-access TV show, “Dirge For The Charlatans,” sued the village of Briarcliff Manor numerous times, claiming that Tartaglione had assaulted him.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney, Jr., added “the despicable acts of murder are more egregious in this case, because the alleged murderer, a former police officer, once swore to serve and protect people from harm.”
New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II called Tartaglione “a dangerous man,” and said his agency will continue to work with local police departments to keep drugs off the streets.
“Once again, the work of a strong law enforcement partnership has resulted in an alleged dangerous man being taken off the streets,” he stated. “These brutal murders are prime examples of the dangerous crimes that are associated with drug distribution. Narcotics destroy communities and put lives at risk.”
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