District Attorney Hoovler, Sheriff DuBois, Police Chiefs, and Orange County Drug Task Force Announce Countywide Narcotics Enforcement Action

April 15, 2017

Fifteen Defendants Charged With Selling and Possessing Heroin, Cocaine,
And Prescription Medications

Goshen, NY – Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler, Sheriff Carl E. DuBois, City of Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden, City of Newburgh Acting Police Chief Richard Carrion, and Town of Wallkill Police Chief Robert Hertman today announced that fifteen defendants have been charged with trafficking heroin, cocaine, and prescription medications throughout Orange County.

The enforcement action, entitled “Operation April Showers,” used undercover police officers to purchase heroin, cocaine, and prescription medications. The countywide enforcement action, one of many since District Attorney Hoovler took office, demonstrates the District Attorney’s and police agencies’ unyielding commitment to cleaning up our neighborhoods by targeting those individuals who seek to poison our society through trafficking narcotics.

All of the purchases of the drugs, and many of the arrests, were performed by the Orange County Drug Task Force. That Task Force, which was created in 2015, is run under the supervision of a Senior Criminal Investigator from the District Attorney’s Office and a Lieutenant from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to personnel from those agencies, the Drug Task Force is composed of police officers from other Orange County police departments. Currently the Village of Goshen Police Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Village of Washingtonville Police Department have committed to assigning police officers to work on the Task Force. The Drug Task Force assists other agencies in conducting narcotics investigations, including undercover investigations, throughout the county. Officers from the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, the Town of Deerpark Police Department, the Town of Warwick Police Department, and the City of Newburgh Police Department aided in the narcotics investigations and arrests.

Those charged in this enforcement action include:

Defendant
Location of Crime
Top Charge
Substance
Age
Residence

Dean Nelson
City of Newburgh
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine
41
Newburgh

Duhane
Johnson
City of Newburgh
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine
38
Unknown

Justin Rosado
Town of Wallkill
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Oxycodone
26
Middletown

Kelly Menard
Village of Warwick
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine, Oxycodone, Fentanyl
44
Warwick

Kristen Neiger
Town of Wallkill
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine
34
Middletown

Pierre Boykin
City of Newburgh
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Heroin
34
Newburgh

Willie Oates
City of Newburgh
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine
33
Newburgh

Andrew
Ramirez
City of Middletown
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Heroin
23
Unknown

Mark
Thompson
City of Middletown
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Heroin
42
Middletown

Gary Mapes
City of Middletown
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Heroin
42
Middletown

Tyheim
Jackson
City of Port Jervis
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Heroin
30
Port Jervis

Brittaney
Guerrier
City of Port Jervis
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine
29
Port Jervis

Ali George
City of Newburgh
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Heroin
31
Newburgh

Antwon Lanes
Town of Wallkill
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree
Cocaine
26
Middletown

Gary Mapes has been indicted by an Orange County Grand Jury and charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, but has not yet been arrested. The District Attorney’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in his apprehension. One other defendant has been indicted in the operation, but not yet apprehended.

The maximum sentence for the Class B Felony of Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the Third Degree is nine years in state prison and post release supervision.

“Drug dealers selling opioids, including heroin and oxycodone, truly are merchants of death.” said District Attorney Hoovler. “There have been eighteen suspected, and at least fifteen confirmed, overdose deaths in Orange County since the beginning of 2017. Since the beginning of 2016 police officers in Orange County have had to administer Narcan 138 times to assist individuals suffering from opioid induced overdoses, resulting in 119 lives being saved. The illegal drug epidemic requires a constant and serious response. We intend to keep the pressure on drug dealers during the summer months, both through enforcement actions such as this, and through more intensive investigations into larger drug dealers. The key to the success of these narcotics enforcement actions has been the collective efforts of the police agencies involved. Together with the assistance of local governments, and concerned Orange County residents, we can combat the narcotics epidemic that is killing far too many in our communities. Narcotics activity continues to be the number one driver of all types of crimes in the County, from white-collar crime to homicides and robberies. My office remains committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners, other government agencies, and concerned citizens to eradicate this scourge.”

Sheriff Carl DuBois stated: “The current epidemic of overdose deaths related to opioid use cries out for operations such as this and collaborative efforts between law enforcement.”

“We are committed to continuing to pursue those selling illicit drugs,” said City of Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden.

The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorneys Lorri Goldberg and Matthew Healy and Assistant District Attorney Janine Kovacs.

A 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.

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