POUGHKEEPSIE – An alleged drug dealer with plans to travel to Miami was foiled by the Dutchess County Drug Task Force on Monday when agents arrested him on a felony drug charge with several other charges pending. Jose Cruz, 22, of Beacon, was arrested at an apartment on Violet Avenue in Hyde Park following a task force investigation into the sale of fentanyl in the Hyde Park/Poughkeepsie area.
Cruz is considered to be directly connected to the distribution of fentanyl in Dutchess County, according to Detective Sergeant Adam Harris, who serves as the coordinator for the task force.
Task force agents, assisted by Dutchess County Sheriff’s deputies took Cruz into custody in the vicinity of St. Peter’s School on Violet Avenue in Hyde Park. The arrest was expedited because agents learned that Cruz was leaving for Miami, Florida on Monday afternoon. “It was a priority to apprehend Cruz before he left New York,” Harris said. Throughout the investigation, Cruz is alleged to have made several narcotics sales to task force investigators.
After Cruz was taken into custody, a search warrant was executed at his Hyde Park residence where both fentanyl and cocaine packaged for sale were seized. An inoperable, illegal handgun along with a loaded magazine of ammunition was seized in addition to the narcotics. The Drug Task Force was assisted by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Hyde Park Police Department during the execution of the search warrant.
Cruz was charged with felony criminal possession of a controlled substance and faces several additional charges, according to the task force. Following his arraignment in Hyde Park Justice Court, he was remanded to the Dutchess County Jail without bail.
“Fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in Dutchess County and it, with other dangerous drugs continues to affect all members of the community every day in some way,” said Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi. “No community is untouched by these dangerous drugs, but we are thankful to the vigilant members of our Drug Task Force who continue to fight to keep our community safe.”
Sheriff Kirk Imperati touted the effectiveness of the countywide drug task force. “Drug Task Force agents are making a significant difference in our communities and I commend their efforts to keep fentanyl and all dangerous narcotics out of our County and beyond. My office continues to support them and provide them with the resources they need, including our Emergency Services Unit, Unmanned Aircraft Unit, Detective Bureau, and other specialty units under my command.”
Anyone with information regarding this case or any other individuals selling drugs in Dutchess County, please call the Drug Task Force confidential tip line at 845-463-6040 or by emailing DrugTaskForceTips@gmail.com.
