NEW YORK CITY — It wasn't quite the homecoming he was expecting.
NYPD officer Jose Tejada, 45, was handcuffed after stepping off a plane at John F. Kennedy airport Wednesday and charged with using his position in the department to help a crew rob drug dealers of thousands of dollars in 2006 and 2007, according to the police and reports.
Tejada allegedly took part in three successful and attempted robberies, supplying the dealers with department-issued uniforms, paraphernalia and vehicles, the New York Times reported.
He has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to distribute drugs, and the unlawful use of a firearm, the Times reported.
Tejada allegedly used his position as an officer to force his way into homes where he believed dealers were living, according to the newspaper.
But in one instance, the residents inside were an innocent family of three who were held at gunpoint while Tejada and two others rummaged through their home, the paper reported. The family called 911 afterward, according to the Times.
Tejada was a 17-year-veteran of the force who served out of the 28th Precinct in Harlem at the time of the robberies, the New York Post reported.
Tejada faces a minimum of 17 years in prison if convicted, CNN reported.
