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Salvatore Distefano, 36, of Westtown, Desmon Pierson, 36, of Middletown and Melissa Delrosso, 35, of Middletown, each pleaded guilty to felony counts of conspiracy in the second degree and felony conspiracy in the fourth degree, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Dominick Guardino, 55, of Middletown, pleaded guilty to the felony of conspiracy in the fourth degree and the misdemeanor of conspiracy in the fifth degree.
All four admitted that they agreed with others to possess and sell narcotic pills and that it was their role in the conspiracy to receive and redistribute narcotics, the DA's Office said.
At the time that Distefano, Delrosso, and Guardino entered their pleas of guilty, a plea agreement was placed on the record which requires, among other actions, that each defendant obtains substance abuse treatment. If they abide by their plea agreements, they will only be sentenced with respect to the lower conspiracy charge to which they pleaded guilty when they are sentenced on June 27, the DA said.
The bust went down on Feb. 5, when members of the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team aided by the New York State Police Special Operations Response Team and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, executed multiple search warrants and made over 20 arrests throughout Orange and Rockland counties.
The arrests and search warrant executions were as a result of a six-month-long narcotics investigation. Law enforcement officials recovered more than $200,000, 25 handguns, one assault rifle, multiple rifles, 10 vehicles, two motorcycles, over 2.5 pounds of cocaine and 1300 Fentanyl pills.
“While any agreement to possess or sell narcotics must be punished, particularly those involving the potentially lethal narcotic fentanyl, we recognize that some lower members of these types of narcotic distribution conspiracies sell narcotics at a level primarily designed to support their own substance abuse habits. Mandating substance abuse treatment for these types of offenders is both crucial and just," said District Attorney David Hoovler.
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