Hudson Valley Drug Bust Nets 14 Arrests
Crack, heroin, powder cocaine, marijuana and guns have been taken off the streets in a Hudson Valley City.
Operation "PK Pick Up" was a joint operation conducted by the NY State Police CNET HVR (Community Narcotics Enforcement Team Hudson Valley Region), NYSP SIU (Special Investigations Unit), NYSP Troop K, City of Poughkeepsie Police, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and a multitude of other agencies that targeted the north side of Poughkeepsie known as "Death Row" according to City Mayor Rob Rolison.
The mayor, a retired Town of Poughkeepsie Police Detective was joined at the press conference by members of the vaarious agencies that conducted raids in the city around 4 AM on Tuesday morning.The December 12th raids resulted in the seizure of $21,000 in cash, $600 of which was recovered buy money, 4 handguns. and two vehicles; a 2005 Lincoln Navigator and a 2013 Volkswagen.
Drugs seized in the raids were:
• 85 grams of crack cocaine
• 7 grams of powder cocaine
• 4 grams of loose heroin
• 4 bricks of heroin
• 10 pounds of marijuana
Tow search warrants that were part of the sweep were executed approximately two weeks ago according to City Police Chief Tom Pape. In those actions police seized $4,000 in cash, 3 pounds of marijuana and a .380 caliber handgun.
According to Rolison the FBI Safe Streets Task Force has been operating in Poughkeepsie for the last several months related to both gun and drug crimes. Rolison announced that his administration is "thankful that the FBI Safe Streets Program is operating in Poughkeepsie." The mayor reiterated his reminder to the criminal element in the city by saying "you need to think twice about selling drugs in this city."
Dutchess County Chief Assistant District Attorney Matt Weishaupt in his remarks said that efforts to combat drug and gun crimes in this area will involve every agency possible and that, depending on the circumstances, the defendants will either be prosecuted in NYS court or Federal court.
Poughkeepsie Police Chief Tom Pape provided a list of the 14 arrested in Operation PK Pick Up and their charges.
(Key: CPW= Criminal Possession of a Weapon, CPCS= Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance CSCS= Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, CPM= Criminal Possession of Marijuana)
• Devin Whitaker, 34, of Mack Road, Poughkeepsie. CPW 3 counts, CPCS 2 counts, CPM
• Justin Adorno, 21, 58 Smith Street, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• Shalina Williams, 25, also of 58 Smith Street. CPCS, CSCS
• Lenard Brown, 37, 120 Hudson Ave., Apt 1A14,. CPCS, CSCS
• Jayhre Smith, 17 of Hudson Harbor Apartments, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• Anthony Davis, 39, 18 Lexington, Poughkeepsie, CPCS, CSCS
• Antoinette Harris-Blanding, 26, 58 Smith Street, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• Malik Williams, 22, 317 Mansion Street, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• Tenequa Fitzgiles-Gilliard, 35, 20 May Street, Poughkeepsie. Assault 3rd Degree
• Dervis Joyner, 39, homeless. CSCS - 2 counts
• Steven Watson, 48, 16 Bartlett, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• Michael Cummings, 28, 5 Fallkill, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• James Carr, 52, 101 Main Street, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS
• Mercedes Nelson, 28, 310 Church Street, Poughkeepsie. CPCS, CSCS