Former NYPD Detective Sentenced To 75 Months In Prison For Violent Racketeering Conspiracy

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that SAUL ARISMENDY DE LA CRUZ, a/k/a "Nene," a/k/a "Venom," a former member of the New York City Police Department ("NYPD"), was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 75 months in prison for accepting bribes to provide members of a theft crew in which he participated with confidential police information about potential victims and ongoing investigations. DE LA CRUZ had pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, in connection with his participation in the violent theft crew.

"The NYPD is the greatest police department in the world," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "Yet Saul Arismendy De La Cruz betrayed his colleagues and the New Yorkers he was sworn to protect. His selfish crimes cannot tarnish the NYPD but must be met with justice as they were today."

As alleged in the Indictment and Superseding Indictments unsealed in White Plains federal court:

DE LA CRUZ was one of a number of defendants charged for participation in a violent theft crew led by the fugitive DAGOBERTO SOTO-RAMIREZ, a/k/a "Pito," pictured below:

DAGOBERTO SOTO-RAMIREZ: WANTED BY THE FBI

Between 2017 and 2022, SOTO-RAMIREZ organized a crew that committed residential burglaries and home invasion robberies, repeatedly targeting small business owners. The majority of the targeted victims were Asian American. Armed with guns and other weapons, members of the crew stole money, jewelry, and other property from scores of homes in states across the country. Others took part in the crew's criminal scheme, which also included the use of false identification, bank fraud, and laundering theft proceeds. In addition, SOTO-RAMIREZ and other members of the conspiracy bribed DE LA CRUZ, first an officer and later a detective of the NYPD, who helped members of the crew escape arrest.

SOTO-RAMIREZ remains a fugitive. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

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In addition to his prison sentence, DE LA CRUZ, 33, of Queens, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $100,000 in forfeiture and $219,459 in restitution to victims.

Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the FBI, the Westchester County Joint Organized Crime Task Force, the New York Public Corruption Task Force, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, the NYPD, the Nassau County Police Department, the New York State Police and the Fort Lee Police Department.

The case is being handled by the Office's White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josiah Pertz, Jeffrey C. Coffman, and Ben Arad are in charge of the prosecution.