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'Sadness, Anger' After 8 Fatal Drug Overdoses In 8 Days Reported In Region
Police in the region are sounding the alarm after eight people died from drug overdoses in as many days.
All eight deaths occurred in Schenectady between Saturday, July 1, and Saturday, July 8, according to police.
The most recent occurred in the city’s Stockade neighborhood. An autopsy revealed that the person died from drug intoxication.
“Each of these overdoses have left a wake of sadness and anger throughout our community,” police said, adding that overdoses have occurred in neighborhoods across Schenectady, including in Bellevue, Hamilton Hill, Downtown, Mont Pleasant, and Northside.…
Fire Department Lieutenant In Area Admits To Being Major Drug Trafficker
A former Hudson Valley fire lieutenant has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to operating as a major drug trafficker.
Orange County resident Paul Smith, age 52, of Deerpark, was sentenced to 10 to 25 years on Wednesday, Nov. 16, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
Smith, a paid lieutenant with the city of Middletown Fire Department at the time of his arrest, was also sentenced to five years post-release supervision, the DA's Office said.
The former firefighter was nabbed during an undercover investigation dubbed “Operation Bread, White, and Blues," in February …
Man From Region Sentenced After Admitting To Selling Meth
A Capital District man will spend more than six years in federal prison after admitting to selling methamphetamine.
James King, age 33, of Schenectady, was sentenced to 78 months behind bars Thursday, April 28, after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute meth, the US Attorney’s Office said.
King told investigators that between February and March 2021, he sold meth twice and possessed the drug with intent to distribute in March 2021, prosecutors said.
Altogether, he admitted to selling more than 150 grams of meth.
Once King is released from prison, he will have to compl…
Area Dentist Admits To Fraudulently Obtaining Oxycodone For Her Own Use
A dentist from the Hudson Valley has pleaded guilty to obtaining oxycodone for her own use.
Ulster County resident Vivian Letizia, age 63, of Stone Ridge, made the plea on Friday, April 15, according to US Attorney Carla Freedman.
In pleading guilty, Letizia admitted that, in December 2019, she fraudulently submitted a prescription for oxycodone for one of her dentistry patients using that patient’s name and date of birth, the US Attorney's Office said.
Letizia then obtained the oxycodone from a pharmacy in Woodstock, for her own consumption. At the time Letizia submitted the prescription …
Feds, Local Police, Seize More Than A Ton Of Cocaine In The Area
Three men are facing charges for their roles in a multi-million dollar narcotics conspiracy ring that led to the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine, officials announced.
Jorge Aponte-Guzman, age 33, Nelson Agramonte,-Minaya, age 37, and Carlos Maisonet-Lopez, age 32, have been indicted in federal court this week following their arrests in September that led to the seizure of 920 kilograms of cocaine.
“A seizure of this magnitude underscores the critical importance of working together with our federal and local law enforcement partners in the DEA Westchester Task Force,” Westchester Cou…
Area Duo Nabbed With Drugs, Guns, During Warrants Search, Police Say
Two Hudson Valley men have been arrested for allegedly dealing drugs through the region following a joint investigation.
John Diamond, age 27, of Chester, in Orange County, and Dyland Cronk, age 31, of Beacon, were arrested on Tuesday, May 18, following the investigation by the Dutchess County Drug Task Force along with the Ulster Regional Narcotics Team, the DEA, and Homeland Security Hudson Valley, said Frank Tasciotti, assistant coordinator of the Task Force.
The men were arrested following the execution of search warrants in Beacon and Chester. The warrants were a result of an investig…
NY Duo Nabbed With 100 Pounds Of Cocaine Stamped With Nickname Of Sports Star, Authorities Say
Two New York men were allegedly busted with more than 100 pounds of cocaine stamped with the nickname of a world-renowned professional athlete during an investigation by the DEA and the New York Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office.
Christopher Jone, and Wykim Williams, both age 43 from New York City, were arrested on Monday, March 29, following warrant raids on a seventh-floor apartment in Queens, said Bridget G. Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor.
During the raids, investigators and agents recovered one loaded handgun, and more than $200,000, in addition to seizing the 50 kilograms o…
Dutchess Man Caught With Stash Of Drugs, Cash, Police Say
A 47-year-old man was busted with an alleged large stash of drugs following an investigation into narcotics sales in the area.
Dutchess County resident Joshua Griffin, of Hyde Park, was busted on Tuesday, Feb. 23, by the Dutchess County Drug Task Force and Hyde Park Police Dept. and the DEA during a warrant search in Hyde Park, said Frank Tasciotti, assistant coordinator of the task force.
The search warrant was a result of an investigation into narcotics sales taking place at that location and the surrounding area, Tasciotti said.
During the search of the residence, agents seized more t…
Dutchess Duo Sentenced For Selling Fentanyl That Led To Four Deaths
Two area men have been sentenced to prison in connection with the fentanyl overdose deaths of four people.
Frank Moss, aka "Jigga," a Poughkeepsie drug dealer who sold fentanyl to two women who later died, was sentenced to almost 22 years in prison, said Geoffrey S. Berman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Arnold Melendez, aka "Frankie," another Poughkeepsie drug dealer, who sold fentanyl leading to the overdose deaths of two men, was sentenced to almost 16 years in prison, Berman said.
Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent …
Four Major Drug Traffickers Taken Down, 25 Others Arrested During Raids In Area
In a dramatic movie-style series of raids, a total of 29 people were arrested Tuesday during a drug enforcement action dubbed "Operation Bread, White and Blues."
The bust went down early Tuesday morning as members of the DEA, FBI, the New York State Police, and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, raided several locations, including an Orange County firehouse in the City of Middletown in which one of the main dealers was an acting fire lieutenant, said Trooper Steven Nevel.
Of the 29 arrested, three have been charged with the felony operating as a major trafficker, including the lieutenant, …
Five Nabbed With Handguns, Heroin In Dutchess Task Force Raid
The Dutchess County Task Force nabbed five people during a raid of a City of Poughkeepsie apartment with handguns, 2,800 bags of heroin and fentanyl, and more than $11,000 in cash.
The task force executed two search warrants during the raid on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Eastman Towers at 22 Montgomery St., following an investigation of narcotics sales taking place in the area, said Frank Tasciotti, assistant coordinator of the task force.
During the search, three handguns, two of which has been reported stolen, were retrieved, in addition to the drugs, scales and packaging materials, Tascio…
NY Authorities Assist In Bust Of 7 Pounds Heroin, 2+ Pounds Cocaine, $40G
An unemployed Massachusetts couple had nearly seven pounds of heroin, more than two pounds of cocaine and $40,000 in drug proceeds stashed in hidden compartments of their vehicle when they were stopped in Paramus by members of a joint county, state and federal task force, authorities said.
Candido Tomasini, 35, and Maribel Roman, 40, of Fitchburg were both ordered held in the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing this Friday, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo said.
Prosecutor’s detectives teamed up with agents from the DEA, the New York State Drug Enforcement Task Force, …
