Above: Images from a photo gallery of arrests made during the recent URGENT investigation "Operation Spring Cleaning," posted on the Ulster County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.
Over three dozen arrests were announced with great fanfare on Wednesday by the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the result of a seven-month-long undercover investigation into drug sales by the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT) dubbed "Operation Spring Cleaning."
The Sheriff's Office and other URGENT members held a press conference at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center in Kingston at noon to discuss the arrests. Police believe many of the drugs targeted in the sweep were coming into Ulster County from the New York City area, said Ulster County Lieutenant Ed Brewster, according to the Daily Freeman, which sent several reporters to cover the event live with online video clips.
The investigation ranged across the county, and targeted sales of multiple types of drugs: heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, black-market pharmaceuticals and marijuana. According to the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, undercover officers made over 100 drug buys during the investigation, and recovered more than 1,000 bags of heroin, several ounces of cocaine, and over 500 diverted pharmaceuticals.
A photo gallery of those arrested in the sweep shows 34 suspects: male and female, young and old, of diverse races and from both rural and urban areas. The charges in the arrests range from various degrees of criminal sale and possession to conspiracy and criminal facilitation charges. Five more suspects are yet to be taken into custody and have not been named, and police say further arrests are expected.
One of those arrested, Burton Aldrich, is an advocate for medical marijuana who appeared in a 2008 television spot for the Marijuana Policy Project. In the recent sweep, Aldrich was charged with several cocaine-related offenses.
Eight of the arrests were previously announced in a press release issued on Saturday. Police say that one man arrested last week on felony heroin sale and possession charges, 24-year-old Shalimar "Swag" Cason of Brooklyn, is a member of the Crips gang. Two other recent arrestees from Ellenville, 31-year-old John "Eyes" Simms III and 34-year-old Detrell Pittman, known as "Dirty Bird" or "D," are allegedly members of the Bloods.
Below is a list of those arrested and their charges, provided by the Ulster County Sheriff's Office:
1. Shalimar Cason, 24, AKA: "Swag" of 30 Debevoise Avenue, Apartment 5H, Brooklyn, a known member of the CRIPS criminal street gang
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Drug type: Heroin
2. Erik Kerr, 19, of 106 Old Mine Road, Kehonkson
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony
Drug type: Oxycodone
3. Amanda Hunlock, 24, of 83 Freidlander Road, Kerhonkson
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony
Drug Type: Oxycodone
4. Raymond Pauli, 31, of 628 Delaware Avenue, Kingston
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree
Drug type: Heroin
5. David Binder, 68, of 22 Mt. Pleasant Road, Mt. Tremper
Criminal Sale of Marihuana 3rd degree, a class E felony (2 counts)
Criminal Sale of Marihuana 4th degree
Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree
Unlawful Possession of Marihuana
Drug type: Marihuana
6. Dillon Binder, 18, of 22 Mt. Pleasant Road, Mt. Tremper
Criminal Sale of Marihuana 3rd degree, a class E felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree
Unlawful Possession of Marihuana
Drug type: Marihuana
7. Rachel C. Lennox, 20, of 173 Wittenberg, Bearsville
Conspiracy 4th degree, a class E felony
Criminal Facilitation 4th degree
Drug type: Heroin
8. Joshua L. Wolven, 24, of 48 Howland Avenue, Apartment 2, Kingston
Conspiracy 4th degree, a class E felony
Drug type: Heroin
9. William C. Champagne, 23, of 16 Bruin Drive, Saugerties, NY
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Cocaine
10. Jonathan Gonzalez, AKA "Doof", 21, 14 Park Street, Ellenville
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Heroin
11. Kathryn Hayes, AKA: "Katie", 24, of 7 North Main Street, Ellenville
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Crack cocaine
12. Brandon Johnson, 19, of Glasco Turnpike, Saugerties
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Drug type: Cocaine
13. Joseph Iorlano, 51, 710 Modena Country Club, Modena
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Cocaine
14. Kelly Kiernan, 29, 27 Park Street, Apartment 1, Ellenville
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Heroin
15. Ruben Soto, AKA: "Blaze", of Ulster County Jail
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell) (2 counts)
Drug type: Heroin
16. Kelly J. Young, 41, of 27 Market Street, Ellenville
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type:
Heroin 17. John Simms III, AKA: "Eyes", 31, of 27 Park Street, Ellenville, a known member of the BLOODS criminal street gang
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Heroin
18. James M. Smith, AKA: "Homeboy", 36, of 132 Center Street, Ellenville
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell) (2 counts)
Drug type: Crack cocaine
19. Anthony Layton, 48, 85 Vineyard Avenue, Highland
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Cocaine
20. Anthony G. Nelson, AKA: "Gene", 44, 37 Virginia Avenue, Apartment 2, Poughkeepsie
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Crack cocaine
21. Karen Matey, 57, of 16 Cherry Lane, Saugerties
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (4 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (4 counts)
Drug type: Oxycodone
22. Michael Matey, 26, of 16 Cherry Lane, Saugerties
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Drug type: Oxycodone
23. Jessica A. Bennett, 32, 20 Stay Road, Saugerties
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Oxycodone
24. Munro Faircloth, AKA: "T", of 14 Clark Lane, Milton
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Crack cocaine
25. Shady Mkhail, AKA: "Gotti", 29, of 52 Kinry Street, Poughkeepsie
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Drug type: Crack cocaine
26. Ellen Gersch, AKA: "Peggy", 54, of 75 Mackey Road, Highland
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (2 counts)
Drug type: Cocaine
27. Marcus Coles, 39, of 70 North Main Street, Ellenville
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony
Drug type: Heroin
28. Detrell L. Pittman, 34, AKA: "Dirty Bird" or "D", of 11 Backman Avenue, Ellenville, NY
Pittman is a known member of the BLOODS criminal street gang
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (5 counts)
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts), a class B felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th degree, a class C felony
Criminal Possession of Marihuana 2nd degree, a class D felony
Drug type: Crack cocaine
29. Darron T. Wilson, 45, of 333 North Umberland Avenue, Buffalo, NY
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th degree, a class C felony
Drug type: Crack cocaine
30. Ana K. Jacobson, 20, 19 Burnett Road, Saugerties
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th degree, a class C felony
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd degree, a class D felony
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree
Drug type: Heroin
31. Justin K. Caggiano, 18, 19 Burnett Road, Saugerties
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th degree, a class C felony
Criminal Possession of a Firearm, a class E felony
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree
Drug type: Heroin
32. Jade L. Evans, 25, of 24 Mildred Avenue, Poughkeepsie
Conspiracy 4th degree, a class E felony
Criminal Facilitation 4th degree
Drug type: Crack cocaine
33. Steven Schmitt, 29, of 126 Vly Atwood Road, Stone Ridge
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th degree, a class C felony
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree
Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia 2nd degree
Criminal Possession of Marihuana 4th degree
34. Burton Aldrich, 51, of 126 Vly Atwood Road, Stone Ridge
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, (intent to sell), a class B felony (3 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th degree, a class D felony
Conspiracy 4th degree, a class E felony
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree
Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia 2nd degree
Criminal Nuisance 2nd degree
Unlawful Possession of Marihuana
