Massive Million Dollar Fentanyl Bust In New York’s Hudson Valley

4 Arrested in Massive New York Drug Raid

New York State Police teamed with gang and narcotics units to bring down a massive fentanyl ring in New York's Hudson Valley.

After an 11-month investigation, four people were arrested, and over 1 million dollars in drugs, money, and guns were confiscated, according to the Attorney General's office.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Sources say that the leading cause of death in Americans ages 18-45 is fentanyl overdose. The highly addictive drug is responsible for nearly 70% of the United States' drug overdose deaths in the past year and is said to be 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

Who Were the 4 People Arrested

• Xavier Grant, a/k/a “X,” 22 years old of Poughkeepsie, New York;
• Antawone West, 25 years old, of Poughkeepsie, New York;
• Michael Jones, a/k/a “Slime,” 33 years old from Poughkeepsie, New York, and
• Kenyi Torres is 45 years old and lives in Middletown, New York.

The investigation revealed that Grant, West, Jones, and Torres worked together to store, supply, and distribute the narcotics in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties. They stashed the drugs throughout residential areas of Poughkeepsie and made deals in parking lots, according to the report.

“Not only did these individuals sell deadly narcotics, they disguised fentanyl in fake prescription pills, putting the lives of their customers at even greater risk. I thank our partners in law enforcement for their collaboration in this effort to take a dangerous criminal organization off our streets as we continue to work to keep New Yorkers safe.” NY AG Letitia James

11 Month Investigation

According to the Attorney General, the 11-month investigation included "hundreds of hours of physical and covert surveillance, analysis of voluminous electronic evidence, including cellphone communications, covert video and audio recordings, and other traditional investigative techniques."

The Defendants frequently used codes to disguise their illegal activities.  They referred to orders of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl as “blues,” “blueberries,” or “perks,” according to the report.

What Did Police Confiscate?

• Five illegal handguns, four of which were loaded, and two of which were ghost guns, in addition to four illegal high-capacity magazines.
• Two and a half kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $45,000, thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl worth over $500,000, and three and a half kilograms of powder fentanyl worth over $200,000.
• Approximately $255,000 in cash.

122 Total Charges

Jones and West, among other things, were charged with firearms offenses, including Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C violent felony, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a class D felony, and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, a class E felony.

Grant and Torres are each charged with multiple counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a class A-II felony carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. They are also charged with Conspiracy to commit those crimes.