New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced the arrests and indictments of seven individuals linked to a narcotics trafficking network operating in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, and Westchester counties. The 155-count indictment includes charges against Shamique Delaine, Jonte Hatcher, Romell Hearn, Nicole Kane, Daquan Killian, and Dwan Scafe for conspiracy and trafficking cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Damian Cunningham faces charges related to cocaine trafficking.
The investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) resulted in the seizure of over 10,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills with fentanyl valued at approximately $75,000 and more than eight kilograms of cocaine worth about $200,000. Additionally, three firearms were confiscated.
“Counterfeit opioids containing deadly amounts of fentanyl are a grave threat to New Yorkers,” stated Attorney General James. “Our investigation dismantled a drug trafficking network that was responsible for moving massive quantities of dangerous narcotics throughout the Hudson Valley.”
The takedown followed a year-long joint investigation involving OCTF and New York State Police’s Special Investigations Unit – Hudson Valley (SIU-HV) and Troop K – Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (K-VGNET). The operation employed controlled purchases of narcotics and firearms, extensive surveillance efforts including wiretapping cellular phones, analysis of electronic evidence, among other investigative techniques.
Defendants reportedly used coded language such as "blues" for counterfeit oxycodone pills and "soft" for cocaine to disguise their activities. Nicole Kane was identified as a central figure in distributing these substances from her home in Highland. Other key locations included Price Chopper Supermarket in Poughkeepsie where transactions occurred.
Hearn collaborated with Scafe out of a stash house in Poughkeepsie to distribute drugs across Dutchess County. A notable incident involved Scafe selling one kilogram of cocaine to Cunningham which police intercepted during a car stop in Westchester County.
Search warrants executed during the investigation led to significant seizures including additional cocaine from Hearn and Scafe's location in May 2024 and another firearm from Hatcher and Delaine's location in August 2024.
The indictment unsealed before Judge Edward McLoughlin outlines various felony charges including Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance with maximum sentences up to 24 years imprisonment. Additional charges include Conspiracy and firearms offenses like Criminal Possession of a Weapon.
“Today’s arrests are part of an aggressive strategy to target networks bringing counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl into downstate communities,” commented State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.
This case is part of OAG’s Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic (SURGE) Initiative aimed at combating heroin, opioid, and narcotics trafficking networks since its inception in 2017.
The case prosecution is managed by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorneys General Griffin Kenyon and James Cudden under supervision from Downstate OCTF Deputy Chief Lauren Abinanti among others within the Division for Criminal Justice overseen by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado.