Hudson Valley Father and Son Guilty in Drug Conspiracy Case
A Hudson Valley father and son admitted to their roles in the “Operation Family Ties” narcotics conspiracy investigation.
On Friday in Orange County Court, 45-year-old Ramon Rivera and his son, Raymond Rivera, 26, both of Newburgh, both pleaded guilty to felony charges in connection with the “Operation Family Ties." investigation.
Both were the last of 35 to plead guilty in connection with the “Operation Family Ties” investigation.
Ramon Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Raymond Rivera pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance.
In May 2017, an Orange County grand jury charged 35 defendants with felonies related to conspiring to sell cocaine and heroin, largely in the Newburgh area.
The investigation targeted the distribution of heroin, cocaine, PCP, and marijuana in the City of Newburgh and several surrounding towns in Orange County, police say.
The investigation began in June 2016, when police learned about a potential drug operation in the area of 170 Carson Avenue in the City of Newburgh.
The indictment alleged that Ramon Rivera and his son operated a drug trafficking organization in Newburgh, supplying others with cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin for redistribution on the street.
Authorities later found 30 grams of cocaine at Raymond Rivera’s home, police say.
“This case illustrates just how organized drug traffickers can be as they attempt to profit from the opioid epidemic,” Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. “It is only through coordinated enforcement actions such as ‘Operation Family Ties’ that law enforcement is able to pursue those higher-level drug dealers and craftier offenders who attempt to insulate themselves from criminal liability by dealing drugs through intermediaries.”
Both are scheduled to be sentenced on March 15.
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