Guilty Plea Announced In Major Orange County Gun and Narcotics Trafficking Case
It has been an incredibly week for the Orange County District Attorney's Office. In the last week the DA's Office has made a number of announcements for regarding various investigations and operations.
The metaphorical floodgates opened late last week when the DA"s Office announced a plea agreement with a suspect in major narcotics operation called Operation: Final Blow. This investigation focused on the Port Jervis area and across the state border in Pennsylvania. You may read our coverage of that announcement by accessing the provided link below.
"Major Trafficker" Given Plea Deal in Months Long Narcotics Investigation in Orange County
At the same time investigators began work on Operation: Final Blow, other members of law enforcement had already spent months working on another high profile case. That case is what brings us to today.
Operation: Hot Lunch Details
That other massive investigation was titled Operation: Hot Lunch and it was centered on the trafficking of both firearms and illegal narcotics in the Orange County area. The investigation was carried out over the course of six (6) months by the Orange County Drug Task Force (OCDTF), the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and a number of other local and state law enforcement agencies.
According to the press release from the DA's Office, it was stated that the suspect identified as 42-year old Kirkland Salmon of Newburgh was "at the center" of four different conspiracies to to traffic firearms and narcotics through Orange County via the use of his own food truck.
The press release states that Salmon was supplied with cocaine by different suppliers who were identified as Owen Beckford a/k/a Marvin Ottley and Joshua Arnold. In addition, Salmon was also supplied with firearms to resell in Orange County by another individual identified as Andre Smith.
During the investigation law enforcement learned of both Beckford and Arnold's distribution organizations which were active in the City of Newburgh as well as other areas in Orange County.
As the investigation continued, law enforcement recovered twenty-four (24) firearms and one (1) kilogram of cocaine. This was followed by law enforcement making their move on May 21, 2024,where police recovered
- over eleven (11) kilograms of cocaine
- approximately ninety (90) grams of fentanyl
- seven (7) guns
- high-capacity magazine
- numerous rounds of ammunition
- approximately $45,000 of US currency
- scales and packaging materials used in narcotics trafficking
- ten (10) vehicles that were instrumentalities of the crimes charged
- one food truck
In the end, twenty-six (26) individuals were arrested with each one of them facing narcotics, firearm and conspiracy offenses.
Plea Deal Agreement and Prison Time
While details of Operation: Hot Lunch have been previously available, the major news from the recent press release is that the DA's Office has reached an agreement with the suspect Kirkland Salmon in the investigation.
Previous Coverage: Police Conduct Huge Bust as Guns and Drugs Seized Out of Hudson Valley Food Truck
The agreement is as follows; in exchange for his plea of guilty in Orange County Court, it will be recommended by The People (the prosecutors) that Salmon be given a less harsh prison sentence.
Salmon at this point has officially plead guilty to the charges of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree, and Conspiracy in the Second and Fourth Degrees.
With the plea on record it will be recommended that he be sentenced to twelve (12) years in prison, to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision. Salmon is expected to be back in court on December 16, 2024 for his sentencing.
It was also stated that Salmon agreed to forfeit a vehicle and a food truck as proceeds or instrumentalities of his crimes.
The press release concluded with District Attorney David M. Hoovler re-emphasizing the "danger" that the spread of illegal narcotics and firearms poses to the community, while at the same time using the case as an example of his office's and law enforcements continued commitment to keep local streets and the community safe.
Lastly, Hoovler also thanked all the participating law enforcement agencies in their collaborative efforts to see this this investigation through. In addition he also thanked all the local law enforcement who assisted with raid and recovery action on May 21.
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