SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — The San Jose Police Officer’s Association executive director accused of importing and distributing fentanyl was in court Friday. Joanne Segovia, 64, self-surrendered Friday morning.
Her hearing began at 2 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse in San Jose. She will be released with no bond on a supervised release. As part of her terms, she cannot travel outside of Northern California.
This was the first court appearance for Segovia, who could face up to 20 years in prison.
The feds say Segovia allegedly spent almost a decade of her career at the San Jose Police Officer’s Association dealing drugs from around the world using the association’s office and computer.
Segovia is allegedly at the center of an international drug shipments case, facing drug charges for importing and exporting opioids like fentanyl across the Bay Area and the country. She has been the executive director of the SJPOA since 2003.
The feds say she has been getting packages filled with thousands of illegal narcotic pills from places like Hong Kong, Hungary, and India since 2015 at an average of around seven packages a year totaling 61 packages.
The drugs were being shipped to her home in San Jose and her office at the San Jose Police Officer’s Association. She used the association’s computer and its UPS account.
The packages would allegedly come with labels like ‘wedding party favors’ and ‘gift makeup.’ When the feds asked her about the packages in February, she denied allegations and said they were supplements and nothing out of the ordinary. Then she ordered another package in March.
Agents say she was getting payments on Cash App and used her work email for the account.
“I am just I’m angry because it’s a huge, huge letdown. To all of the men and women that are a part of our organization,” Sean Pritchard, president of the San Jose Police Officer’s Association, said. “It’s just so hard to comprehend. This person has been really been the grandma of the POA. It’s not the person that we’ve known for well over a decade.”
Segovia will be back in court on April 28.
