Former NYPD Cop From Hudson Valley Faces Federal Bribery, Narcotics, Firearms And Robbery Charges

HARRIMAN, NY — A disgraced former cop in Orange County is facing federal charges connected to allegations of misconduct and criminal behavior on the job.

Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner of the NYPD, announced on Tuesday the unsealing of an indictment charging 41-year-old Andrew Nguyen, a Harriman resident and former NYPD officer, with bribery, narcotics, firearms, and robbery offenses in connection with his alleged participation in a drug trafficking enterprise while he was an NYPD officer.

Nguyen was arrested Tuesday morning.

"The NYPD is the most professional and most effective police department in the world," Clayton said. "New Yorkers rely on and trust the women and men of the NYPD. As alleged, Andrew Nguyen not only breached that trust for profit, but he also committed crimes against his fellow New Yorkers. New Yorkers, including our thousands of dedicated NYPD officers, want him brought to justice."

According to court documents, between 2020 and 2023, Nguyen often abused his position as an NYPD officer by soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in exchange for assisting an unnamed drug dealer with the operation of a drug trafficking enterprise.

Nguyen transported drugs, including around eight kilograms of cocaine, for the drug dealer while Nguyen was armed with a firearm, including a 9‑millimeter Glock Model 26 pistol, which was Nguyen's NYPD-authorized off-duty firearm, to protect the dealer if violence took place, according to prosecutors. He also had his NYPD credentials and an NYPD parking placard, which Nguyen planned to use to evade arrest in case he was pulled over by police, according to the accusations made in federal court.

Nguyen also drove the drug dealer to drug meetings, while possessing a firearm, including his NYPD-authorized off-duty firearm, NYPD credentials, and an NYPD parking placard, prosecutors said.

Nguyen looked up the names of other drug dealers in NYPD databases at the request of the dealer who was paying him, provided that confidential information to the dealer, and, at least once, offered to arrest one of those drug dealers in exchange for payment, the feds say.

In exchange for payment, Nguyen used an NYPD vehicle to conduct an unsanctioned car stop of the dealer, during which Nguyen purported to seize drugs and drug proceeds, investigators said. After the stop, Nguyen submitted false reports to the NYPD about the car stop, to help the dealer avoid repayment of a drug-trafficking-related debt, according to prosecutors.

In November and December 2023, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation during which Nguyen transported what he believed to be five kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $5,000. The "drugs" were sham and Nguyen had obtained them from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a drug dealer, according to court filings.

Overall, Nguyen accepted more than $30,000 in bribe payments from the dealer during his participation in the drug trafficking enterprise, according to federal prosecutors.

At the time of Nguyen's arrest on Tuesday, law enforcement searched his home. They report discovering several firearms and ammunition in plain sight, including: a Glock 19 pistol that was fully loaded with hollow-point ammunition; two AR-15-style rifles; a short-barreled rifle; a fully loaded high-capacity drum magazine containing 60 rounds of ammunition; several AR-15-style magazines loaded with ammunition; and substantial amounts of other ammunition, including additional hollow-point ammunition.

"Andrew Nguyen allegedly levied his official position as an NYPD officer to accept more than $30,000 in bribes in exchange for transporting narcotics and providing unauthorized armed protection to their illicit operations," Raia said. "Nguyen's alleged support to a drug trafficking enterprise directly violated the oath he swore to uphold as well as the public’s trust. While the vast majority of our NYPD partners are deeply committed to honoring their duty to protect and serve, the FBI will never tolerate those who besmirch the badge for personal profit."

Clayton praised the investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau.

The case is being handled by the Office's Public Corruption Unit and Narcotics Unit.

"The NYPD holds its officers to the highest standards, and it's an affront to our department when someone so blatantly abuses the public's trust," Commissioner Tisch said. "Andrew Nguyen allegedly endangered the communities he was sworn to protect and put his fellow officers' lives in danger. The NYPD has zero tolerance for corruption of any kind, and I thank the members of the department who investigated this case and our partners in the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for their support in rooting out this misconduct."