District Attorney Hoovler Announces Guilty Pleas
in Newburgh Gun Cases

Co-defendants Pled Guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree
Defendants Face State Prison Sentences
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Thursday, September 1, 2022, Deon Patterson, age 23, and Deandre Peacock, age 22, both of Newburgh, pled guilty in Orange County Court to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. Under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Patterson and Peacock pled guilty, the District Attorney’s Office will recommend that Patterson serve eleven years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision and Peacock serve nine years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision when they are sentenced on October 24, 2022.

On July 5, 2022, the City of Newburgh Police Department received a Shot Spotter notification of shots fired in the area of Farrington Street. During the course of their investigation, the police received a call from a resident in a nearby building who had found a backpack with a handgun inside. The police recovered a loaded .45 caliber handgun from inside of the backpack. City of Newburgh detectives were able to review surveillance video from the area which showed both defendants entering the building without a backpack and subsequently Patterson exiting the building wearing the backpack, which he placed under a box and left. Further video shows Peacock hand a different firearm to Patterson, who then put that firearm into a nearby garbage can. Police officers then recovered the loaded .38 caliber revolver seen in the video from the garbage can where Patterson put it. Peacock later made admissions to police that he possessed the firearm.
During the plea proceedings, both Patterson and Peacock admitted that they unlawfully possessed a loaded firearm. The District Attorney’s Office is recommending a longer sentence for Patterson in light of his possession of both guns, as well as in consideration of his prior criminal history.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation and the arrest of Patterson and Peacock.
“The scourge of dangerous and illegally possessed guns drives violent crime,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “My Office will vigorously pursue the perpetrators of gun crimes and seek significant prison sentences where appropriate. Each illegal gun taken off the street is one taken out of the hands of potentially violent criminals. I commend the dedicated work of the City of Newburgh Police Department to investigate these cases, recover the weapons and arrest those responsible.”

The case is being prosecuted by Executive Assistant District Attorney Leah Canton.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation 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.