A former Uber driver allegedly used his vehicle to make heroin deliveries around the city, according to prosecutors.
Driver José del Rosario Fernandez, 31, has been charged with multiple counts of conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance for allegedly ferrying kilos of heroin and other drug traffickers last year.
Prosecutors said that Fernandez drove a black Toyota Highlander, which had been registered to him and which he used as his Uber vehicle. According to the NY Post, Fernandez took "calls from his drug bosses while ferrying unsuspecting fares" between January and December 2015, making deliveries to high-level dealers. That included one trip during which Fernandez allegedly picked up $2.5 million worth of drugs in Middle Village in Queens.
After a wire tap investigation by a DEA task force, he was arrested on March 25th near his home in Hudson Heights in upper Manhattan. Uber told the Post that Fernandez was a registered Uber driver until May 2015, but they told us that, "this individual completed his last trip on the Uber platform prior to the time of this incident."
This isn't the first time an Uber car has allegedly been used for drug trafficking: a convicted drug dealer was caught transporting kilos of heroin to a luxury Southeast Baltimore apartment building in an Uber cab in February. And a Boston man said he was an Uber driver when he was found with a pound and a half of heroin hidden inside a box in the back of his Subaru in January.
Also, it seems that heroin is a popular subject of discussion—and occasionally use—in Uber cars:
I enjoyed hearing all about how heroin should be manufactured in the US from my Uber driver this morning.
— Joey Banks (@joeyabanks) January 29, 2016
Our uber driver is on meth, talking about heroin, went into the liquor store with us, got a number and roads beer.#ItipMyHatToYouSir
— J (@WhiskeyDisk) January 31, 2016
My uber driver this morning told me how he used to do lots of heroin so I think I'm gonna become an uber driver when I grow up
— Jūñkįē £įghtŠkįn⛵️ (@bigasslightskin) February 1, 2016
"I like drinking during the day more now"
"I like a good smoke and a bag of heroin" -our uber driver. Holy cow hellloooooo— Abby (@abszirra) April 2, 2016
My @uber driver tonight made conversation by talking about meth and heroin.
That ride was wild. How many stars to never get them again?— • (@Micah__James) April 11, 2016
uber driver talking about how he smirked PCP and heroin 🤘🏽
— Christopher (@chrisxdiaz) March 23, 2016