GOSHEN – Christian Shomo, 33, who goes by the name “Monster”, pled guilty in Orange County Court on Wednesday to “operating as a major trafficker”, according to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. Shomo, a Middletown resident, was arrested after a four-month-long investigation designed to disrupt major narcotics trafficking in the City of Port Jervis and the surrounding area, including Pike County, Pennsylvania.
Under the plea agreement, the District Attorney will recommend that Shomo be sentenced to 13 years in prison and five years post-release supervision when he is sentenced on May 9, 2023.
The investigation into Shomo was started by the City of Port Jervis Police Department and evolved into a large-scale operation dubbed “Final Blow” that involved several law enforcement agencies and task forces. The operation involved court-authorized eavesdropping that justified the search warrants that seized a substantial amount of evidence.
The search warrants executed during the investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately two kilograms of cocaine, 74 grams of heroin, 165 grams of fentanyl, 1,600 ecstasy pills, and 235 pills containing oxycodone, as well as seven illegally possessed firearms and $153,690 in cash. Eleven automobiles, four motorcycles, and two ATVs were also taken into evidence.
Hoovler, Orange County’s top law enforcement officer said “My office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of high-ranking drug dealers who peddle their poison in Orange County. The operation helped to disrupt the flow of narcotics being trafficked in the western part of Orange County by bringing the higher-level dealers, including this defendant, to justice,” adding “I applaud the cooperation amongst the varied law enforcement agencies who conducted a careful investigation that led to the conviction of this defendant.”
