Multiple Narcotics Seized in Rockland County, NY Drug Raid

The raging war against dangerous and illegal narcotics continues on here in the Hudson Valley for members of local law enforcement.

Just yesterday, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II made the announcement of a recent arrest made by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force following a months long investigation.

Rockland Drug Task Force Investigation

Over the course of the last five months, Rockland County's Drug Task Force has been investigating the sale of narcotics in the Town of Haverstraw. Over the course of these last months, the task force had gathered evidence and was able to obtain a court authorized search warrant.

In their investigation, the Drug Task Force identified a person of interest or suspect who was identified as 40-year old Richard Fernandez of Pomona. The search warrant obtained was for Fernandez's residence which law enforcement executed last week on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

Task Force Suspect Arrested

The raid carried out by law enforcement that proved to be fruitful as a number of dangerous narcotics were seized at the scene. According to the press release from the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, law enforcement seized unspecified amounts of cocaine, fentanyl pills, and other pharmaceutical pills during the search.

Following the discovery, the suspect Richard Fernandez was placed under arrest and charged with multiple felonies. Later on after the arrest, Fernandez would step into the Town of Haverstraw Justice Court where he would be arraigned by the Honorable George G. Coffinas.

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Officially, Fernandez has been charged with one count of Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree and four counts of Criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree. These are felony charges where the penalties for conviction vary.

Potential Punishment

The potential punishment for these felony offenses is severe but can vary based on whether or not the accused has a prior criminal history. A clean record could potentially mean a lighter sentence, where a previous record could make punishment more severe.

Each of the charges comes with a maximum possible punishment of 25 years behind bars. Like wise, each charge also comes with a minimum sentence, of between 5 and 10 years. 5 years would be the minimum with no record, 10 with a record. In addition, a conviction could also mean the possibility of fine a fine that could be in excess of $30,000.

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The press release concluded with D.A. Thomas E. Walsh II reaffirmed his office's mission to "combat the trafficking of controlled substances and street-level narcotics in Rockland County", while at the same time addressing that the office is also committed to helping those battling substance abuse.

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Of the D.A's. comments, he particularly identified Fentanyl as a prime reason for the increase in severity of the raging opioid epidemic.

Fentanyl of course is a powerful synthetic opioid which actually can aid medical professionals in a medical setting, however in the opioid crisis, it has played a major factor in the number of overdose cases.

A number of law enforcement agencies played a role in getting this investigation to this point other than the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force, including the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, Orangetown Police Department, Clarkstown Police Department, and the Rockland County REACT Team.