PORT JERVIS, NY — Law enforcement officials held a press conference on September 28 to announce charges against 36 defendants. An over four-month-long investigation disrupted major narcotics …
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PORT JERVIS, NY — Law enforcement officials held a press conference on September 28 to announce charges against 36 defendants. An over four-month-long investigation disrupted major narcotics trafficking in the City of Port Jervis and surrounding areas, including Sullivan County and Pike County, PA.
Among those charged with Conspiracy in the Second Degree was Jack Piscitelli, 24 of Port Jervis, NY; Piscitelli was a teacher and a coach with the Monticello Central School District. Superintendent Matthew Evans made a statement following the arrest, on September 28: "Earlier today, we were made aware that a teacher in the high school was arrested. It is the District’s policy to immediately reassign a teacher to home pending the investigation into any arrest. This arrest, to the best of our knowledge, was not related to any event or incident on school grounds, nor did it involve any Monticello CSD students. We are closely monitoring the legal proceedings regarding this matter."
Search warrants executed during the investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately two kilograms of cocaine, 74 grams of heroin, 165 grams of fentanyl, 1,600 ecstasy pills and 235 pills containing oxycodone, as well as seven illegally possessed firearms and $153,690. Eleven automobiles, four motorcycles and two ATVs were also taken into evidence.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Final Blow” was initially started by the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the Orange County Drug Task Force, the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Pike County Criminal Investigations Division of the Pike County District Attorney’s Office, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and included the use of court ordered eavesdropping, as well as the execution of seventeen search warrants. Other law enforcement agencies who provided crucial aid in the investigation included the Town of Deerpark Police Department, the City of Middletown Police Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the Sussex County Guns, Gang and Narcotics Taskforce, and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office. Federal agencies who aided in the operation included Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the FBI’s Safe Streets Taskforce and the United States Marshall’s Service Fugitive Task Force.
Three of those charged in the operation—Wayne Smith, 42, of Deerpark; Joseph Bruno, 43, of Port Jervis; and Christian Shomo, 33, of Mount Hope—are charged in Orange County, New York, with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, for having sold over four ounces of cocaine on September 7, 2022. Jose Parra, 61, of Port Washington, New York, is also charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, in Orange County, New York, for selling over four ounces of cocaine on August 14, 2022. Those defendants each face up to 20 years in state prison on those charges.
Following the execution of a search warrant at her residence, Tyara Porter, 47, of Monticello, was charged in Sullivan County with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, for possessing over four ounces of fentanyl. She is also charged in Orange County with crimes including Conspiracy in the Second Degree.
Andrew Mitchell was charged in Sussex County, New Jersey with the crimes of Maintaining/Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility, Controlled Dangerous Substance Manufacturing/Distributing/Possession, Possession of a Firearm, and Money Laundering.
The following defendants have been charged with the class B felony of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, for having agreed to engage in or cause the performance of conduct constituting the class A felony of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree. Conspiracy in the Second Degree carries a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to twenty-five years in state prison if the defendant has had no prior felony conviction in the last ten years, or a maximum sentence of twelve and one-half to twenty-five years in prison if the defendant has such a prior felony conviction.
NAME |
RESIDENCE |
AGE |
Wayne Smith |
Deerpark, NY |
42 |
Joseph Bruno |
Port Jervis, NY |
43 |
Christian Shomo |
Mount Hope, NY |
33 |
Andrew Mitchell |
Vernon, NJ |
47 |
Raymond Hamilton |
Glen Spey, NY |
43 |
Jose Parra |
Port Washington, NY |
61 |
Thomas Bratton |
Middletown, NY |
50 |
Brian Stevenson |
Port Jervis, NY |
45 |
Gregory Luca |
Pike County, PA |
38 |
Ryan McCormick |
Glen Spey, NY |
47 |
Tyara Porter |
Monticello, NY |
47 |
Tyree Bolden |
Rock Hill, NY |
44 |
Brian Rossnagle |
Port Jervis, NY |
36 |
Daniel Scott |
Village of Chester, NY |
41 |
David Porter |
Port Jervis, NY |
70 |
Christine Ryan |
Pike County, PA |
31 |
Dennis Dunne |
Pike County, PA |
36 |
Gerald Harden |
Port Jervis, NY |
43 |
Jack Piscitelli |
Port Jervis, NY |
24 |
Kaylynne Doran |
Pike County, PA |
33 |
Kenneth Bruno |
Port Jervis, NY |
68 |
Michael Diana |
Port Jervis, NY |
59 |
Michael Gurliacci |
Port Jervis, NY |
40 |
Ronald Babcock |
Port Jervis, NY |
28 |
Trevone Waxter |
Port Jervis, NY |
38 |
Walter Finch |
Pike County, PA |
43 |
Ryan Platner |
Port Jervis, NY |
36 |
Police and prosecutors are requesting the public’s help in locating the following individuals who are wanted on felony complaints charging them with crimes including Conspiracy in the Second Degree:
Christopher Stubble |
Port Jervis, NY |
38 |
William Cummings |
Pike County, PA |
38 |
Kristie Hemion |
Port Jervis, NY |
35 |
Adam Russ |
Wurtsboro, NY |
49 |
“The amount of narcotics being trafficked in western Orange County and the surrounding areas is simply staggering,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “It is only through the coordinated actions of various law enforcement agencies that we can stop those higher-level dealers who try to insulate themselves by only dealing in large amounts with other criminals who they know and trust. I am grateful to all the law enforcement agencies that dedicated their resources and untiring efforts to disrupt the flow of narcotics into the area of Orange County that so many of us call home."
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