Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Shariff Gual, 37, of Deerpark, pled guilty on September 19, 2023 in Orange County Court to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree.  Under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Gual pled guilty, it is expected that he will face ten (10) years in prison and five (5) years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on December 6, 2023. As part of his plea, Gual admitted to possessing eight or more ounces of cocaine.

A nearly month-long investigation conducted by the City of Port Jervis Police Department and Orange County Drug Task Force, together with the Pike County Criminal Investigations Division of the Pike County Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Office, and the Sussex County New Jersey Prosecutors Office, revealed that Gual, who had been acting in concert with Reginald Francis,who has been arrested and charged with narcotics offenses in Milford, Pennsylvania, sold and possessed cocaine to resell to others within Orange County, New York, Montague, New Jersey, and Milford, Pennsylvania. The investigation culminated with the execution of multiple search warrants in the City of Port Jervis, Town of Deerpark, Montague, New Jersey, and Milford, Pennsylvania.

Search warrants executed during this investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 940 grams cocaine, a loaded handgun, and approximately $1,200 in cash. Other law enforcement agencies who provided crucial aid in this investigation included the City of Middletown Police Department, the Town of Deerpark Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group, the Pike County Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Office, Hudson Crime Analysis Center, the Pennsylvania State Police, and U.S. Probation.

“High-level narcotics traffickers prey on those addicted to the poisons they peddle,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Those same traffickers should take heed that law enforcement will dedicate the resources necessary to identify them and see that they are brought to justice.  This case is yet another example of the progress that can be made when law enforcement works together.  I am thankful for the resources that the City of Port Jervis Police Department and the Orange County Drug Taskforce put into this investigation, and the many others that they conduct with my office.  I am also grateful for the cooperation and dedication shown by all the police agencies and prosecutor offices, both within our State, and in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, who aided in this investigation.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory.

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.