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The probe into cocaine and crack cocaine being sold in Ulster County was launched in November 2022 by the City of Kingston Police Department and Town of Ulster Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in response to a growing number of both fatal and non-fatal overdoses of a suspected substance sold in glassine envelopes marked with a “Moet stamp.”
"These stamped bags usually contain heroin or fentanyl or a combination of both," Town of Ulster Police said. "Upon initial investigation of these stamped 'Moet' bags, it was determined that these particular bags contained no heroin, but fentanyl and a substance identified through lab tested as Xylazine. Xylazine although not a controlled substance as of this post, is extremely dangerous in human consumption."
The suspect, Westchester County resident Kenneth J. Ivey, of Yonkers, was first arrested in connection to the case in January 2023 when he was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to Town of Ulster Police.
Ivey was arraigned in the City of Kingston Court and released.
In October of 2023, members of the Kingston/Ulster Special Investigations Unit began to investigate Ivey’s return to the Kingston/Ulster area and subsequent narcotic sales being conducted by Ivey.
On Wednesday, Nov. 29, Ivey was arrested in the Town of Ulster by the City of Kingston PD andTown of Ulster PD and charged with:
Three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance,
- Three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
A search warrant was executed by both police departments following Ivey’s arrest in a residence in the City of Kingston linked through the investigation to Ivey and a substantial amount of cocaine, fentanyl and heroin was recovered.
On Thursday, Nov. 30, an Ulster County grand jury indicted Ivey on numerous narcotic charges.
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