Port Jervis Man Charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker for directing a Controlled Substance Organization that sold more than $75,000 worth of Heroin and Fentanyl in One Year
Defendant who faces 25 Years to Life in Prison Attempts to Escape
Port Jervis Police Department assisted by Orange County Sheriff’s Special Operations Group Seize 7,658 packets of suspected Heroin in Search Warrant Execution
City of Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden and Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on March 18, 2021, Richard McInturff, Age 30, of 146 Jersey Avenue, Port Jervis, NY, was charged by Port Jervis City Police Detectives with Operating as a Major Drug Trafficker, a class A-1 felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a class A-1 felony, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class B felony.
On March 18, 2021, members of the Port Jervis City Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group executed a search warrant issued by the Port Jervis City Court at McInturff’s residence located at 146 Jersey Avenue in the City of Port Jervis. The search warrant, which was drafted with the aid of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, was part of an investigation into the illicit sales of the narcotic drug heroin in the City of Port Jervis.
After a search of the residence, detectives recovered the following property:
27 ounces of suspected heroin packaged for sale (7,658 packets)
$2,000 Currency
Digital Scale
In addition to those controlled substances, another 3,500 packets of suspected heroin were recovered during the course of the investigation.
A felony complaint filed in the City of Port Jervis Court alleges that McInturff committed the class A-1 Felony of Operating as Major Trafficker by acting as the “director” of a “controlled substance organization,” which between March 18, 2020 and March 18, 2021, sold controlled substances, including heroin and fentanyl, and that the sales from those controlled substances were in excess of $75,000 in that one-year period. It is alleged that McInturff directed the actions of others involved in the controlled substance organization. In 2009, New York enacted the crime of Operating as a Major Trafficker to penalize more severely what the Legislature referred to at the time as “drug kingpins.” McInturff faces up to 25 years to Life in prison if convicted.
McInturff was arraigned in Port Jervis City Court where he was remanded to the custody of the Orange County Jail without bail pending further court appearances. McInturff is next scheduled to appear in the City of Port Jervis Court on March 24, 2021.
It is alleged that after his arraignment, McInturff attempted to escape from the custody of the Port Jervis Police Department by pushing police officers and attempting to flee. Officers were able to successfully prevent the escape after a struggle. McInturff was additionally charged with Attempted First-Degree Escape, a Class E Felony.
Port Jervis City Police were assisted in the investigation by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group, Sussex County New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office and Narcotic Task Force, and the New Jersey State Police.
Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden commended his police officers and the other law enforcement agencies that assisted them and told the public, “If you see something, say something. If you suspect illicit narcotic activity is occurring in your neighborhood, please contact the Port Jervis Police Department’s confidential tips line at 845-858-4003.”
“This is a very significant seizure of narcotics, one of the largest in the history of Port Jervis, and underscores the magnitude of the opioid epidemic,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “While those who are addicted to drugs need and deserve our compassion and assistance, those who profit from selling these frequently lethal substances deserve punishment, particularly those who sell large quantities for profit. I commend the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group, the Sussex County New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office and Narcotic Task Force, and the New Jersey State Police for their work on this investigation. It is only through the coordinated efforts of cooperating law enforcement agencies that large-scale narcotics operations can be stopped.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory and Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Healy.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.