Landmark Guilty Plea Leads to Jail Sentence For Orange County Man

An Orange County man who sold drugs in the Hudson Valley on an ATV is heading to prison.

On Wednesday in Orange County Court, 34-year-old Brandon Masker of Warwick was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the “Operation Chopper” narcotics enforcement action.

The jail sentence followed a seven-month investigation into drug sales in Orange County called “Operation Chopper.” On April 28, 2016, The New York State Police Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, made over 20 arrests and seized two kilos of cocaine.

In addition to exposing the drug ring, the “Operation Chopper” investigation also revealed crimes committed by “outlaw motorcycle clubs,” officials say.

In June 2016, Masker pleaded guilty to operating as a major trafficker. During his plea, Masker admitted that he was the director of a group that sold cocaine throughout Orange County and surrounding areas

As part of the plea agreement Masker forfeited $30,000 in drug proceeds, as well as three all-terrain vehicles which were used to transport narcotics. One ATV was worth over $12,000.

According to the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Brandon Masker’s plea marked the first time that there had been a plea to operating as a major trafficker in Orange County, and the first time the Orange County District Attorney’s office has charged someone with that crime.

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