Drug Busts in Washington Square; Mailbox Thefts in East Village
Crack cocaine and widespread check-washing.
| 25 Aug 2025 | 02:35
Left: Booty from recent Washington Square Park drug busts; right: NYPD warns against mail fishing. (
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Tips to avoid mailbox fishing for checks. (
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Police continue to arrest the purveyors of illegal narcotics including crack, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in Washington Square Park.
On Aug. 12, Craig Gordon, 47, of 1660 Monroe Ave. in the Bronx was arrested for selling crack.
“Today, your Q-Team addressed the most predominant complaint in the 6th PCT . . . narcotics,” an officer from that precinct, commanded by Deputy Inspector Jason Zeikel, posted on X, along with a photo of the confiscated dope and money.
Gordon was hit with multiple drug counts. These now go along with an outstanding heroin-dealing charge following an April 19 arrest in the 17th Precinct in Harlem.
Released under his own recognizance, Gordon was scheduled to be back in court in the heroin case on Aug. 25.
In another case, Friday, Aug. 22, at approximately 4pm, cops from the 6th Precinct Special Operations Team observed a 39-year-old male make a hand-to-hand transaction with a suspected drugs buyer inside of 1 Washington Square North.
The individual, Larry Bennet, 39, of 66 E. 175th St. in the Bronx, was taken into custody and, following a search after his arrest, was found to be in possession of a quantity of alleged crack cocaine.
Bennet was charged with multiple drug counts, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration.
On the following day, Aug. 23, Bennet pled not guilty and was released by Judge Shirin Zabran on his own recognizance. Bennet is due back in court on Oct. 15, 2025.
9th Precinct Warns East Village About Mailbox Fishing
There are no crimes more vile than those that prey upon the elderly and the infirm. This includes both the myriad, often foreign-based financial scammers who target seniors’ bank accounts by phone or e-mail, and the street-level cretins who steal people’s mail.
To combat these soulless assassins of social contract, the NYPD Crime Prevention division has issued a pamphlet with guidance on how to protect one’s mail, especially that containing checks.
“Thieves are always finding new ways to scam you,” the 9th Precinct recently posted on X. “Here are some useful tips so you don’t become a victim!!! Mail fishing is currently one of the biggest scams going on. Tell a friend to tell a friend.”
Among the tips: Give your mail directly to the post office or mail carrier; use permanent ink when writing checks; shred any voided or incorrectly written checks; and monitor your account balances closely.
While the NYPD was unable to provide a list of locations from which mail has reportedly been stolen, the problem is considered both widespread and organized. It’s believed that street mailboxes, for example, are often targeted by moped-riding thieves at night.