GOSHEN – An Orange County grand jury has indicted 17 people on drug trafficking charges following investigations by police agencies, the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices.
The crimes involved cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and prescription medications. In one case, a woman died from a drug overdose.
Eleven of the defendants were arrested and charged with drug sales and possession for selling narcotics including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to undercover police officers.
They were all released without bail as a result of the recent bail reform statutes.
The DA’s office and Orange County Drug Task Force are seeking the public’s assistance in locating five people who are wanted on arrest warrants for drug possession and sales.
One defendant, Rashon Williams, 26, of Newburgh, is wanted on three counts of drug sale and criminal possession of drugs.
On April 10, 2021, a suspected fatal overdose occurred in the Village of Monroe. Village police found a man and woman who were both unconscious. They were administered Narcan. The man was revived but the woman did not and later died.
It is alleged that Williams sold the drugs to the man in the City of Newburgh and that man share them with the woman in Monroe.
Williams is also wanted on a felony complaint for selling cocaine and fentanyl on April 16, days after he sold the fatal dose.
If convicted, the defendants could receive from 2 ½ to 12 years in prison, depending upon the criminal degree of the offense.
“The death of this young woman is a stark reminder that we must respond to the spike in fatal overdoses in Orange County, and throughout New York State,” said DA David Hoovler. “Although bail may now be set in connection with any crime that results in a death, judges should have the ability to use their discretion in setting bail on those who sell narcotics, particularly potentially lethal ones such as fentanyl and heroin.”
Sheriff Carl DuBois said his office “will continue to commit any and all resources to combat this terrible epidemic and look for new ways to help those affected by addiction.”
Monroe Village Chief Darwin Guzman said the bust “is a huge step moving forward to combat the crime of heroin and fentanyl sales in Orange County. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with those agencies to keep our streets safer.”
Those agencies involved in this investigation included police in the Town and City of Newburgh; town police in Montgomery, New Windsor, Wallkill, and Warwick; village police in Monroe and Walden, the U.S. Marshals Fugitives Task Force, and Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center.
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The full list of the defendants is below:
| Defendant | Location of Crime | Substance | Age | Residence | Police Agency |
| Hakeen Frith | City of Middletown | Cocaine | 29 | Port Jervis | Drug Task Force |
| Stephen Johnson | City of Middletown | Cocaine | 51 | Liberty | Drug Task Force |
| Duane Spearman* | City of Newburgh | Cocaine | 53 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Shatiro Lawrence* | City of Newburgh | Cocaine | 33 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Tameka Hannah | City of Newburgh | Cocaine | 44 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Tyler Wilson | City of Newburgh | Cocaine | 23 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Louis Towles | City of Newburgh | Heroin | 20 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Michael Elwyn | Town of Wallkill | Cocaine | 43 | Montgomery | Drug Task Force |
| Robert Gayle | City of Newburgh | Fentanyl | 44 | New York City | Drug Task Force |
| Terrance Norman | City of Newburgh | Fentanyl | 50 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Eric Hall | City of Newburgh | Fentanyl | 50 | Drug Task Force |
The following defendant is currently charged with the Class D felonies of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree:
| Defendant | Location of Crime | Substance | Age | Residence | Police Agency |
| Joan Brennan | City of Middletown | Adderall | 57 | Middletown | Drug Task Force |
The District Attorney’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in the apprehension of the following individuals for whom arrest warrants were obtained:
| Defendant | Location of Crime | Substance | Age | Residence | Police Agency |
| Merissa Hill | City of Middletown | Cocaine | 28 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Marlon Anderson | City of Middletown | Cocaine | 32 | Middletown | Drug Task Force |
| Pierris Morgan* | City of Newburgh | Cocaine | 28 | Middletown | Drug Task Force |
| Rashon Williams | City of Newburgh | Fentanyl | 26 | Newburgh | Drug Task Force |
| Charles McDonald* | City of Newburgh | Fentanyl | 39 | Springfield Gardens | Drug Task Force |
