FLUSHING MAN CONVICTED IN FOUR UNDERCOVER NARCOTICS SALES; FACES 25 TO LIFE ON EACH CASE; ALSO CHARGED IN TWO HOMICIDE CASES INCLUDING 1987 MURDER OF OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the conviction of a 34 year old Flushing man on charges of selling more than one pound of cocaine to undercover police officers in a series of four transactions that took place in March and April of 1999. He also faces murder charges in the 1987 killing of off-duty Police Officer George Sheu and the 1995 slaying of a young man in Kissena Park.
District Attorney Brown said, “The evidence of the defendant's guilt in the narcotics case was overwhelming and I am pleased by the verdict. We will soon shortly proceed to try the homicide cases.”
District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Henry Vega, of 43-76 163rd Street, Flushing, New York. He was convicted after a two week jury trial of four counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree among other charges. Supreme Court Justice Randall Eng presided at trial and will impose sentence on January 4, 2001 at which time the defendant faces 25 years to life in prison on each sale.
According to the testimony at trial, in January 1999 undercover officers who had information that the defendant was dealing drugs in the neighborhood set up a social club at 136-04 Booth Memorial Avenue in Flushing and put the word out that they were interested in buying drugs as well as engaging in other illegal activities. The defendant, who began frequenting the club, sold the officers cocaine in March and April on 4 occasions for a total of more than one pound of cocaine worth over $100,000 at the street level.
In addition, during the course of the investigation police developed evidence leading to Vega's arrest for the 1987 murder of Police Officer George Sheu. Officer Sheu was shot to death in front of his home in Flushing on July 7, 1987 when he allegedly interrupted Vega while he was breaking into a car. In a second homicide Vega is charged with murdering Joseph Hill during a robbery in Kissena Park on November 4, 1996.
Executive Assistant District Attorney Peter A. Crusco of District Attorney Brown's Investigations Division along with Assistant District Attorney Brian J. Stavrides of the District Attorney's Trial Bureau under the supervision of Robert J. Masters prosecuted the narcotics case. Assistant District Attorney Daniel A. Saunders, Chief of the District Attorney's Homicide Trials Bureau is in charge of the murder cases.