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, 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.”
“If you are selling drugs in any neighborhood in the City of Poughkeepsie we are going to aggressively pursue you and bring you to justice,” Rolison said.
The mayor said drug dealers “need to think twice” about trafficking.
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.
