Hudson Valley Police Arrest Port Jervis Man for Sale of Narcotics

Recently a Port Jervis man was arrested by local Hudson Valley Police and charged for allegedly selling various narcotics. This continues an active string of arrests made by local law enforcement for narcotics-related crimes.

A Months Long Investigation Pays Off

Over the past four months, members of numerous Hudson Valley law enforcement agencies worked together to take on this latest battle against the raging opioid epidemic. Some of the agencies involved were the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the Orange County Drug Task Force, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center.

The united efforts culminated in the arrest of a suspect by the name of Felix A. Pena a 27-year-old of Port Jervis. Reports indicate that an undercover agent could have been used to catch the suspect in the act of selling narcotics. Upon making contact, Pena offered the sale of roughly '20 grams of fentanyl'.

Get our free mobile app

Pena was then apprehended and arrested and charged with the criminal sale as well as criminal possession of a controlled substance. In total, police found that Pena was in possession of about 23 grams worth of fentanyl and a 'quantity' of cocaine.

Pena was later arraigned, in Orange County Court and then sent to Orange County Jail without bail. Officially Pena has been charged with 2nd-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 3rd-degree. If found guilty the 2nd-degree charge alone could potentially carry a 'maximum sentence of life in prison' with a minimum sentence of 3-8 years. The 3rd-degree possession charges would each carry a max sentence of 25 years if found guilty and a minimum of 5-10 years. These charges each come with the possibility of expensive fines between $30K-$50K.

As is with every individual, Mr. Pena will have his day in court provided this case were to actually go to court. It is also worth noting that it was not mentioned whether or not Mr. Pena had a prior criminal history. This is important because the charges against him and possible penalties will vary depending on if a previous criminal history was present.

Check This Out: Sullivan County Coroner Update on Battle Against Opioid Crisis

The War Against the Opioid Epidemic Continues

It would be fair to say that here in the Hudson Valley, the Opioid Epidemic has certainly taken its toll and done its fair share of damage. Lately, the epidemic itself seems to have escalated with the increased presence of fentanyl mixed in with other narcotics. More recently other drugs have also been used to further strengthen the power of these narcotics, like Xylazine.

With that being said, law enforcement from the entire Hudson Valley has been doing an incredible job at getting as many of these dangerous and harmful drugs as well as those selling them off the streets.

Speaking on this most recent case, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler stated it best by saying...

It is only through the joint and dedicated efforts of the various law enforcement agencies that drug dealers can be held to account for their actions....

Hoovler would also add that he and the rest of his office will continue to 'root out' the dangers that continue to plague local communities. Though I'm not an expert, I'd feel safe in assuming that that is a sentiment that all law enforcement agencies would agree with. Citizens are encouraged to contact Port Jervis Police if they have any information regarding drug trafficking in the Port Jervis area by calling their tip line at 845-858-4003.