Manhattan man’s overdose sparks massive fentanyl, heroin bust

More than a dozen narcotics dealers, including a former NYPD cop, were busted Thursday after authorities launched an investigation into an Upper East Side man’s overdose death.

“The conspiracy stretched from the South Bronx to the Upper East Side and involved widespread distribution of narcotics at a time when overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in New York City,” said the city’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan.

The probe was sparked after a 28-year-old man overdosed in the bathroom of a York Avenue diner after taking a deadly combination of fentanyl, heroin and alprazolam, authorities said.

Officials recovered a glassine envelop of fentanyl-laced heroin at the scene, which they connected to the victim’s friend and neighbor, Christopher Wagner, who scored his drugs from alleged Bronx dealer Jose Jorge, aka “Catano.”

The undercover tried to buy drugs directly from Jorge, but Jorge initially insisted he go through Christopher and Christopher’s ex-police officer dad, Edgar Wagner.

The former cop, who retired in 1994, allegedly drove his son to Jorge’s home at 425 White Plains Road in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx to pick up cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. The undercover waited nearby to buy the drugs off them.

After Christopher died, Jorge agreed to peddle narcotics directly to the undercover and made seven sales to him starting in June 2018.

Prosecutors say that Jorge was captured on wiretap allegedly saying that fentanyl overdoses are good for business by advertising the product’s potency and driving customers to him.

In July 2018, at Jorge’s direction, the undercover allegedly started buying drugs from Edward. On seven separate occasions, he scored cocaine, heroin, two boxes of bullets, a ballistic vest and a shotgun, authorities said.

The sales occurred at Edward’s apartment at 1540 York Avenue, where authorities seized a $100,000 in cash and an undisclosed quantity of narcotics.

In total, the undercover bought $35,000 in drugs.

After the lengthy wiretap investigation, police uncovered a network of Bronx and Manhattan drug dealers peddling the highly potent narcotics, including Jorge, Edward, Jason Morales, Kaddier Herrans-Pagan, Wilfredo Rosario-Velez, Jose Feliciano, Miguel Santana, Jorge Abad, Juan Ruiz, Angel Colon, Angel Ramirez, Rene Borrero and Andy Torres.

The defendants were awaiting arraignment Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court on conspiracy, criminal possession of a controlled substance and other charges.