Comedian Steve Hofstetter Photo by Nick Larsen
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | DEC. 17 - DEC. 23, 2021
BY STEPHEN WITT
Two alleged fentanyl traffickers
— a California man
and a Mexican national —
nabbed in Queens with two kilos
(4.49 pounds) of the deadly
drug wound up being sprung
from jail without any bail.
Queens Criminal Court
Judge Karen Gopee made that
decision at the Dec. 3 arraignment
of Navarro Gonzalez,
26, of Bell Garden, California,
and Juan Esquer, 48, of Jalisco,
Mexico. They were charged
with criminal possession of a
controlled substance and other
crimes after they were pulled
over during a Dec. 2 traffic stop
in Bayside and police found
two kilos of fentanyl allegedly
in the vehicle.
Despite their heavy, lethal
load — fentanyl is one of the
deadliest of synthetic opioids
— Gonzalez and Esquer were
ordered by Gopee to be released
under supervision and
ordered to return to court on
Feb. 1, 2022.
The office of Queens District
Attorney Melinda Katz
had requested $50,000 cash
bail for each defendant. But a
spokesperson said the judge
apparently used her own discretion
in setting the two suspects
free.
“Fentanyl is a lethal drug
and two kilos is a significant
amount. We asked for $50,000
bail in this case because we
believe it was necessary in order
to ensure that these defendants,
who have no ties to New
York City, return to court. The
supervised release was ordered
by the arraigning court, using
her discretion,” said Chris Policano,
the chief public information
officer for the Queens district
attorney’s office.
According to the state Department
of Health, nearly
half of all overdose deaths in
New York state now involve
fentanyl. Street dealers are
known to cut heroin and cocaine
with the drug, and most
recently officials have warned
of fentanyl-laced marijuana.
According to Katz, on Dec.
2, cops observed Gonzalez
driving a silver Ford Escape
near Northern Boulevard and
204th Street in Bayside. Esquer
was seated in the front passenger
seat. The driver allegedly
made a right turn without signaling
which resulted in a car
stop by police.
According to the charges,
police executed a court-authorized
search warrant for the
interior of the vehicle and recovered
the fentanyl in packages
enfolded in green saran
wrap bricks and hidden in
the passenger’s side air bag. A
police lab confirmed the substance
recovered was the synthetic
drug fentanyl.
Among the agencies involved
in the bust — along
with the NYPD — were members
of the U.S. Department of
Justice Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
Strike Force Initiative
in connection with the United
States Drug Enforcement Administration’s
Long Island Division
Office.
New York Regional DEA
spokesperson Michelle O’Toole
said because this is an ongoing
investigation, the agency cannot
comment further.
Katz’s office refused any
further comment on the case
or investigation, but noted the
importance of clamping down
on the drug.
Additional reporting by Bill
Parry and Robert Pozarycki.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Steve Hofstetter, a Queens
native and comedian, is returning
to his childhood hometown
of Briarwood on Saturday,
Dec. 18, to film his new comedy
special, “The Recipe.”
Hofstetter will be performing
two shows at his former elementary
school, P.S. 117, at 85-
15 143rd St., where he attended
until the age of 12.
The shows will take place
at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and tickets
are available to purchase at
stevehofstetter.com.
“The Recipe” is a heartbreaking
and hilarious set that
explores Hofstetter growing up
in a mixed family, setting out on
his own, achieving his dream
and the grief surrounding the
loss of his father.
“A lot of it is about gallows
humor and being able to last
through pain, which is a subject
I think a lot of people can relate
to these days,” Hofstetter said.
“The special is different from
what I’ve done in the past, and
from what a lot of comedians
do. It’s got a beginning, middle
and end, and is written so people
can watch it multiple times
and is more like a movie than a
traditional standup set.”
Hofstetter decided to film
his show at P.S. 117, since it was
the first stage where he was in
his first play 35 years ago, he
said.
Since the themes of the
special involve growth and
planning, Hofstetter thought it
would be nice to go back to the
beginning at his elementary
school. The show will double as
a fundraiser for the school and
the Teachers DonorsChoose
program, a U.S.-based nonprofit
organization that allows
individuals to donate directly
to public school classroom
projects.
“Instead of just buying tickets,
someone can donate to any
of the Teachers DonorsChoose
programs and be able to redeem
that donation for a ticket,” Hofstetter
said. “Not only does it
raise money for the teachers
and their projects, but it also
allows people who couldn’t afford
a ticket to come and see
the show. A lot of people had a
rough year and a half, and it allows
us to raise money for the
right people and help those who
need it.”
According to Hofstetter, he’s
excited to be back on the road
after doing online shows during
lockdown amid the COVID-19
pandemic.
“During the pandemic, I
felt like there was a piece of
me missing. I was luckier than
others — I had my health and
I wasn’t worried about paying
rent. I was OK, but I still didn’t
feel like me. Getting back out
there as a performer makes me
feel whole again,” Hofstetter
said. “I’m extremely excited to
be able to perform on a stage
that means something to me
and have my family, friends and
fans there.”
Hofstetter says his goal is to
move people and to show them
that laughing and crying are
next to each other on the wheel.
“I’ve been workshopping
this show since I got back on the
road in May and I’ve had people
come to multiple shows — one
person came to six shows. It’s
because the show is written in
a way that you can watch it multiple
times,” Hofstetter said.
Hofsetter gained a reputation
for himself when he began
posting videos from his standup
routines of his interactions
with audience members on You-
Tube and has since racked up
185 million views and over 600K
subscribers on the platform.
“I try to be a social critic.
There’s a great quote from
Bill Hicks who’s my favorite
comedian of all time, ‘The
comic is the one who says
wait a minute as the consensus
forms,’ and that’s what
I try to do,” Hofstetter said.
“My goal as a comic is to be
what Bill Hicks was if he
didn’t hate his audience.”
His book, “Ginger Kid,”
which was released in 2018,
debuted at No. 1 in its category
on Amazon and was a Top Five
Pick.
Throughout his career, Hofstetter
has used his own blend
of satirical social commentary,
tackling everything from
American politics to foreign affairs
to pop culture and current
events. Hofstetter was also the
host and executive producer of
season one of “Laughs” (FOX)
and he has made appearances
on various shows on ESPN,
VH1, ABC, CBS, Showtime and
more, including late night television.
Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Handout via REUTERS
Alleged fentanyl traffi ckers
busted in Bayside released
without bail: Queens DA
Steve Hofstetter to perform
comedy special in Briarwood
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