District Attorney Hoovler Announces Guilty Plea in
Port Jervis Methamphetamine Conspiracy Case
Defendant Admits to Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine in and Around Port Jervis
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Monday, April 11, 2022, Ashley Evans, 33, of Hallstead, Pennsylvania, pled guilty in Orange County Court to one count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree and one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Evans pled guilty, the District Attorney’s Office will recommend that she serve an aggregate sentence of seven to eighteen years in state prison and two years of post-release supervision when she is sentenced on June 13, 2022.
A five-month joint investigation by the Orange County Drug Task Force (OCDTF), and the City of Port Jervis Police Department revealed the unlawful possession and sales of firearms and methamphetamine occurring primarily in Western Orange County. As part of the investigation, authorities learned that Evans sold a total of 275 grams of methamphetamine, commonly known as “crystal meth” and that she possessed an additional 200 grams of methamphetamine. At the time of her plea, Evans admitted to participating in a conspiracy to sell methamphetamine in and around Port Jervis and to possessing a large quantity of methamphetamine with the intent to sell it.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the OCDTF and the City of Port Jervis Police Department for their joint investigation and the arrest of Evans.
“The dedicated cooperation of skilled law enforcement investigators can and does serve to disrupt the trafficking of narcotics,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Together, our partners in law enforcement can stem the tide of drugs and help to prevent the needless cycle of addiction and death that follows in the wake. I commend the work of the police agencies involved in this case and hope that drug dealers heed the warning that their crimes will be discovered and they will be held responsible for their actions.”
The case is prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Neal Eriksen.
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.