TOWN OF THOMPSON, NY — On Friday October 25,  the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Narcotics Intelligence Unit executed a search warrant in conjunction with “Operation Hard Rock”, a 2-month long investigation into wholesale cocaine distribution in Sullivan County.

At about 9:15 a.m., the Sheriff’s Emergency Services Unit entered apartment 2-A at the Lexington Park Apartments located at 3396 State Route 42 near Cantrell Road, in the Town of Thompson. At the location, Deputies recovered approximately 3 kilos of cocaine, 142 grams of marijuana and approximately 1.7 grams of pink cocaine, a new drug known as Tusi, which contains a ketamine mixture. Also seized was approximately $132,000 in U.S. Currency.

The Sheriff’s Office has charged the apartment’s occupant, Raheen Meredith, age 50, with three felony counts including Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, which is a class A-1 Felony and two misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the investigation.

Meredith was taken into custody without incident following a traffic stop, a short distance from the apartment. He was arraigned before Town of Thompson Justice Sharon Jankiewicz and due to his 3 prior felony convictions, was remanded to the Sullivan County Jail without bail. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation by the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police.

Sheriff Mike Schiff said that this was a significant seizure. “It’s not every day that you see kilo size bricks of cocaine and a $130,000 cash with a Sullivan County based drug dealer”, said Schiff. “This was definitely a wholesale operation”.

Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty said, “The quantity of illicit drugs and ill-gotten monies seized pursuant to this investigation highlights the magnitude of the drug epidemic in Sullivan County. I commend the officers involved for their dedication in developing leads and furthering this investigation into a major drug supply network. I look forward to continuing to work with Sheriff Schiff on our mission of ending this epidemic in Sullivan County once and for all.”

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said, “Today’s announcement underscores the vital importance of collaboration among partners, each of whom brings unique resources and information, in our shared pursuit of a greater goal: the safety of our Sullivan County neighbors and New Yorkers as a whole. HIS New York and our partners refuse to turn a blind eye as drug dealers threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.