New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the successful dismantling of a major drug trafficking ring operating in the Hudson Valley, which was distributing cocaine, powder fentanyl, and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl across Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange Counties.
The investigation, led by the Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF), resulted in the seizure of two and a half kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately $45,000, along with thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl worth over $500,000 and three and a half kilograms of powder fentanyl valued at more than $200,000. Authorities also confiscated five illegal handguns, including two ghost guns, and four high-capacity magazines.
A 122-count indictment was unsealed in Dutchess County Court, charging Xavier Grant, Antawone West, Michael Jones, and Kenyi Torres with multiple felonies related to narcotics and firearms offenses. This takedown was the result of an 11-month investigation conducted jointly by the OCTF, the New York State Police’s Special Investigations Unit – Hudson Valley, and the Troop K – Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team.
The investigation included extensive physical surveillance, analysis of electronic evidence, and covert video and audio recordings. The defendants allegedly used coded language to refer to their narcotics, calling counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl “blues, blueberries, or perks.”
The investigation revealed that Grant, West, Jones, and Torres worked together to store, supply, and distribute the narcotics, often in Poughkeepsie, with the drugs sold in parking lots. The indictment includes charges for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance, with Jones and West facing up to 20 years in prison.
This bust is part of the OAG’s Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic (SURGE) Initiative, which targets opioid and narcotics trafficking networks. Since 2017, SURGE has removed 984 alleged traffickers from the streets.
The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General Joseph Barca, with support from OCTF Legal Support Analysts, under the supervision of OCTF leadership.
