HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y. — Attorney General Letitia James has announced the arrest of seven individuals in connection with a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation spanning Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, and Westchester counties. The suspects are accused of illegally distributing cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.
Those arrested include Shamique Delaine, 33, Jonte Hatcher, 41, Romell Hearn, 45, Nicole Kane, 36, Daquan Killian, 32, Dwan Scafe, 36, all of Poughkeepsie, and Damian Cunningham, 40, of Mount Vernon. The group faces a 155-count indictment related to drug trafficking and possession of illegal firearms.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) seized more than 10,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills worth about $75,000, over eight kilograms of cocaine valued at $200,000, three firearms, and approximately $14,000 in cash during the investigation. Among the firearms recovered, one was identified as a ghost gun, an unregistered and untraceable weapon.
The investigation revealed that Kane purchased cocaine and fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills from Killian, Hearn, and Hatcher, which she then sold in Highland. Hearn and Hatcher are alleged to have distributed the drugs in Poughkeepsie and Orange County. Hearn, working with Scafe, is said to have stored and distributed both cocaine and pills throughout Dutchess County. Authorities believe Scafe sold a kilogram of cocaine to Cunningham, which was later seized during a traffic stop.
In August 2024, authorities executed search warrants, leading to the discovery of a loaded firearm and about 450 grams of cocaine seized from Hatcher and Delaine. The investigation also uncovered a ghost gun sold by Kane.
The arrests and seizure of narcotics highlight the ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in the Hudson Valley region. Attorney General Letitia James praised the collaboration of local and state law enforcement agencies in the successful dismantling of this drug trafficking network.