He won’t beat this heat with a kiddie pool!
A Washington Heights man who set up an inflatable pool to help residents cool off during last summer’s heatwave has been busted for running an extensive drug-dealing operation out of his apartment building, authorities said.
Joshua Torres, 34, made headlines in July — when the mercury neared 100 degrees in the city — for setting up the $900 pool outside of his building on Audubon Avenue near West 174th Street.
“I wanted to do something for the community,” Torres boasted to the Wall Street Journal at the time — claiming to be the building’s super and noting that he positioned the pool next to a dumpster, so he could dive into the water.
But prosecutors allege he was doing something very different for the community — allegedly running a drug crew that dealt heroin laced with fentanyl, prescription pills, crack cocaine and methamphetamine in an operation that ran 24 hours a day.
Torres was busted Wednesday on 34 counts of conspiracy and other drug dealing charges in a case that will be prosecuted by the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office.
At least one of the deals took place at the pool where Torres and members of the crew lounged during the heatwave, prosecutors said.
Among his workers were fellow suspect Raimondia Handley — who was pictured by a Post photographer lounging in a bikini in the pool last summer, authorities alleged.
Investigators busted Torres, Handley and four other alleged workers after an extensive investigation that included undercover buys and wiretaps.
Residents of the block said Wednesday they were disappointed to learn of Torres’ arrest — but not completely surprised.
“The water always looked dirty so I never jumped in,” said a neighbor named Juanita, 42, who declined to give her last name. “It’s disappointing to learn a local hero is a drug dealer. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
“My kid spent this summer in the pool. They didn’t give out goody bags of weed — shame on this man for putting my girl in danger,” added another resident, 24-year-old Vanessa.
Torres pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday and was remanded into custody.
Handley pleaded not guilty and was granted supervised release.
Additional reporting by Reuven Fenton
