Attorney General James Announces Takedown of Cocaine and Fentanyl Trafficking Network Operating in the Hudson Valley

January 9, 2025

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrests and indictments of seven members of a narcotics trafficking network, which illegally sold cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, and Westchester counties. The 155-count indictment charges Shamique Delaine, Jonte Hatcher, Romell Hearn, Nicole Kane, Daquan Killian, and Dwan Scafe with conspiracy and trafficking cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. A seventh defendant, Damian Cunningham, is charged with trafficking cocaine. The investigation, led by the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) seized more than 10,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl worth approximately $75,000, over eight kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $200,000, three firearms, including a ghost gun, and $14,000 in cash.

"Counterfeit opioids containing deadly amounts of fentanyl are a grave threat to New Yorkers," said Attorney General James. "Our investigation dismantled a drug trafficking network that was responsible for moving massive quantities of dangerous narcotics throughout the Hudson Valley, where communities have been hit hard by the opioid crisis. My office remains committed to tackling this crisis from every angle, and I thank the New York State Police for their cooperation and diligent work on this investigation that took dangerous drugs and guns off our streets."

Today's takedown was the result of a twelve-month joint investigation led by OCTF and the New York State Police's (NYSP) Special Investigations Unit - Hudson Valley (SIU-HV) and Troop K - Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (K-VGNET). The investigation included the use of controlled narcotics and firearm purchase operations, hundreds of hours of physical and covert surveillance, court-authorized wiretapping of cellular telephones, the analysis of voluminous electronic evidence, including cellular telephonic communications, and other traditional investigative operations.

2,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl seized by the investigation

Cocaine, a firearm, and drug paraphernalia seized by the investigation

A Polymer 80 ghost handgun recovered by the investigation

During the investigation, as revealed through traditional investigative techniques and through electronic surveillance, the defendants and their co-conspirators frequently used coded and cryptic terminology to try and disguise their illicit activities. Defendants referred to the counterfeit oxycodone pills as "blues" and used "soft" as a codeword for cocaine.

The investigation centered on the actions of Nicole Kane, who purchased cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl from Daquan Killian, Romell Hearn, and Jonte Hatcher for further distribution. Kane made sales from her home in Highland, New York, and sourced counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl from Killian at his home and at a Price Chopper Supermarket in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Hearn also sold cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone in Poughkeepsie, including at a local AutoZone parking lot. Hatcher made cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone sales in Poughkeepsie, as well as near the Newburgh Mall in Orange County.

Further, the investigation revealed that Hearn was working together with Dwan Scafe out of a stash house in Poughkeepsie to possess, store, supply, and distribute cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in Dutchess County. In March of 2024, Scafe sold a kilogram of cocaine to Damian Cunningham which was seized by police during a car stop in Westchester County. During search warrant executions in Poughkeepsie in May 2024, a loaded firearm, a high-capacity magazine, and an additional six kilograms of cocaine were seized from Hearn and Scafe. During search warrant executions in August 2024, a loaded firearm and approximately 450 grams of cocaine were seized from Hatcher and Shamique Delaine. Additionally, the investigation recovered a Polymer 80 ghost gun sold by Kane.

The investigation into the narcotics trafficking network led to the recovery of:

• Over eight kilograms of cocaine, with an approximate street value of $200,000;
• Over 10,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, with an approximate street value of $75,000;
• Three illegal firearms, including one ghost gun, and two high-capacity magazines;
• Drug paraphernalia, including scales, ziplock bags, and other packaging materials, used to package and measure narcotics; and
• Approximately $14,000 in cash.

The 155-count indictment, unsealed today before Judge Edward McLoughlin of the Dutchess County Court, charges various felony narcotics offenses, including Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First and Second Degrees, class A felonies, which carry maximum sentences of 24 years incarceration and 14 years incarceration, respectively, as well as Conspiracy to commit those crimes. Hatcher, Kane, Hearn, and Scafe are also charged with firearms offenses including Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class C violent felony. Hearn and Scafe are charged with Operating as Major Traffickers, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

"Today's arrests are part of an aggressive strategy to target the networks that are bringing counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics into downstate communities," said State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. "State Police will continue to partner with local law enforcement and the Attorney General's Office to shut these illegal operations down and put the perpetrators behind bars."

Those charged in today's indictment include:

• Damian Cunningham, 40 years old, Mount Vernon, New York
• Shamique Delaine, 33 years old, Poughkeepsie, New York
• Jonte Hatcher a/k/a "Diggs", 41 years old, Poughkeepsie, New York
• Romell Hearn a/k/a "Mel", 45 years old, Poughkeepsie, New York
• Nicole Kane, 36 years old, Highland, New York
• Daquan Killian, 32 years old, Poughkeepsie, New York
• Dwan Scafe, 36 years old, Poughkeepsie, New York

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Today's takedown marks the latest major drug bust in OAG's Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic (SURGE) Initiative, a law enforcement effort that brings together state and local law enforcement to target New York's heroin, opioid, and narcotics trafficking networks. Since launching in 2017, SURGE has taken 980 alleged traffickers off the streets.

The investigation was led by investigators from NYSP SIU-HV, under the supervision of NYSP SIU-HV Senior Investigator Andrew Piliero-Kinderman and NYSP SIU-HV Lieutenant Timothy Gould, investigators from NYSP K-VGNET, under the supervision of NYSP K-VGNET Senior Investigators David Jimenez, Robert Lombardi and Robert Molica and NYSP K-VGNET Lieutenant Lisa Strauss, and OCTF Detectives David Walsh and Steven Cohan, under the supervision of OCTF Detective Supervisor Bradford Miller, OCTF Downstate Assistant Chief Ismael Hernandez, and OCTF Deputy Chief Andrew Boss. The Attorney General's Investigations Division is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

In addition to the above law enforcement partners, Attorney General James would also like to thank Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the Dutchess County Drug Task Force for their assistance throughout the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorneys General Griffin Kenyon and James Cudden, under the supervision of Downstate OCTF Deputy Chief Lauren Abinanti, with the assistance of OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General John Genovese and OCTF Legal Analyst Madeline Rosen. Nicole Keary is the Deputy Attorney General in Charge of OCTF. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado. Both the Investigations Division and the Division for Criminal Justice are overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.