An off-duty New York police officer who claimed he was friends with 50 Cent and Ja Rule was recently arraigned on gun possession and is suspected to have planned robberies against drug dealers. He also boasted about being on the verge of a $1 million recording contract.
Donald Medard, 30, joined the NYPD in 2003 and was part of the force's narcotics enforcement unit. Prosecutors believe he plotted to rob drug dealers on his off time.
Earlier this week, Medard and three comrades were arrested in Washington Heights, NY when officers discovered guns, a ski mask and a bulletproof vest in his SUV, police said. According to prosecutors, Medard told cops he was an officer and then reached for his 9-mm. Glock "in a manner that led the arresting officer to fear for his life."
Cops stopped Medard around 1:30 a.m. after a 911 call told police someone in a black GMC Yukon had committed an assault.
Court documents say cops found a 9-mm semiautomatic pistol, a 380-caliber and 45-caliber gun in the truck. The serial numbers of the guns, which were loaded, had been scratched off.
According to prosecutors, one of Medard's alleged accomplices, Claude Dorsica, 20, admitted that the group of men were preparing to commit robberies in a videotaped confession.
"We have reason to believe the defendant was part of a plan to shake down and rob drug dealers in the area," Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass revealed at Medard's arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Authorities are also looking to see if Medard is connected to any unsolved robberies and are asking drug dealers to cooperate with any information. He is being held on a $10,000 bail.
Medard's wife, Kimberly, who wouldn't bring her 8 and 9-year-old kids to the arraignment, said she believes her man is innocent.
Some of Medard's fellow cops had also noted his off behavior when he routinely carried a bulletproof vest home with him. "He was known to have three or four vests [in his stationhouse locker] and he would always come in to work with his vest," a cop revealed. "Why do you need four?"
Medard also masqueraded as a prominent rap promoter, said he often went on business trips and even told other officers he was close to inking a $1 million recording contract. He often distributed flyers advertising rappers performing at Hip-Hop staples like Exit.
The Hip-Hop-obsessed cop once pulled up to Maspeth, Queens' 104th Precinct stationhouse in a silver Mercedes-Benz SL500 Roadster, according to police. The vehicle runs $93,675, more than double the cop's yearly salary. Medard was also vocal about his wish to leave the force. Word is he even felt the NYPD was racist and criticized officers who he felt pulled him over because he was black.
Despite Medard's claims, Ja Rule's attorney said the rapper didn't know him while 50's representatives didn't return calls seeking comments.