POUGHKEEPSIE – A drug sweep in the City of Poughkeepsie conducted
jointly by a multitude of law enforcement agencies has resulted in a large
seizure of drugs, cash, guns, cars and 14 suspects taken into custody.
Named Operation PK Pickup, the law enforcement agencies including the
FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, executed two search warrants
early Tuesday morning that resulted in the seizure of $21,000 cash and
$600 of recovered “buy” money, 85 grams of crack cocaine, seven
grams of powder cocaine, four grams of loose heroin, four bricks of heroin,
10 pounds of marijuana, four handguns, a 2005 Lincoln Navigator, and a
2013 Volkswagen.
Poughkeepsie Mayor Robert Rolison, himself a retired Town of Poughkeepsie
Police detective, stood with many of his former law enforcement colleagues
to recap the raids that took place on the city’s North Side, near Smith
Street, known as “Death Row.” “You need to think twice
about selling drugs in the City of Poughkeepsie,” said Rolison, who
intimated that the arrests may not happen immediately and the suspects
won’t know which agency will be arresting them, but the arrests will happen.
Prior to Tuesday’s arrests, two search warrants were executed earlier
in the month that resulted in more drugs being confiscated along with
cash and another handgun.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weishaupt declared that the
District Attorney’s Office will use all available resources to combat
drug and gun crimes. He further indicated that depending on the type of
criminal, they can be charged in either state court or federal court in
White Plains.
Arrested in the two sweeps were:
Devin Whitaker, 34, of Poughkeepsie
Justin Adorno, 21, of Poughkeepsie
Salina Williams, 25, of Poughkeepsie
Leonard Brown, 37, of Poughkeepsie
Jayhre Smith, 17, of Poughkeepsie
Anthony Davis, 39, of Poughkeepsie
Antoinette Harris-Blanding, 26, of Poughkeepsie
Malik Williams, 22, of Poughkeepsie
Tenequa Fitzgiles-Gillard, 35, of Poughkeepsie
Dervis Joyner, 39, homeless
Steven Watson, 48, of Poughkeepsie
Michael Cummings, 28 of Poughkeepsie
Mercedes Nelson, 28, of Poughkeepsie
Charges for the individuals range from criminal possession of a weapon
to criminal sale of a controlled substance. Fitzgiles-Gillard was charged
with assault.
