MTA
- Richard Dean Desain, a 32-year-old from Los Angeles, was arrested on July 9, 2018, after he allegedly tried to pick up a package of crystal methamphetamine that had arrived at Apple's Grand Central Terminal store in New York City.
- According to NYC special narcotics prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, Desain was connected to "multiple large-scale shipments of methamphetamine to New York City and the surrounding area."
- After a nine-month investigation, a new indictment handed down Monday from the Manhattan Supreme Court said Desain "allegedly conspired to supply methamphetamine to New York City-based drug distribution networks from August of 2017 to July 9, 2018."
- Desain has been charged with conspiracy in the second and fourth charges, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second and third degrees.
Every day, thousands of people go to Apple's
But Apple's store in New York's Grand Central Station received a visitor seeking to pick up a different kind of merchandise this summer: More than a pound of meth, according to
According to a press release issued by New York City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor on Monday, Richard Dean Desain, a 32-year-old from Los Angeles, was arrested at the Apple story in July when he allegedly arrived to pick up the shipment. According to the prosecutor, Desain had arranged for multiple shipments of meth "worth tens of thousands of dollars" to be distributed around the New York City area, though it's not entirely clear if one of the packages arrived at the Apple store by design or by accident.
At his arraignment on Monday, Desain pleaded not guilty; he is currently being held on $100,000 bail.
On July 7, 2018, an Apple employee at the Grand Central Terminal retail store opened a package addressed to "R De Sain" that, according to special narcotics prosecutor "ultimately proved to contain 559 grams (more than a pound) of methamphetamine." According to Brennan's office, someone had tried to reroute this package to a nearby Duane Reade pharmacy, but was unsuccessful.
The Apple store employee who discovered the package immediately reported it to the NYPD, and two days later, on July 8, Desain was arrested when he walked into the Grand Central Apple store while attempting to retrieve it. Brennan's office says police recovered "an additional quantity of methamphetamine weighing more than 100 grams from his person" during the arrest.
Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York
The surprise delivery
A new indictment was handed down Monday from the Manhattan Supreme Court - the culmination of a nine-month investigation - alleged that Desain had been arranging the shipments of crystal meth around New York City and the surrounding area, including New Jersey, using package delivery services. The shipping labels said the packages were from "Dean Desain" of "Dean's List."
Authorities say they had wiretapped at least one of Desain's phones, and intercepted text messages where Desain had sent information about pricing and "standard sizes."
The indictment filed Monday charges Desain with conspiracy in the second and fourth charges, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second and third degrees.