Ronald Davis Pled Guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Ronald Davis, 53, of Wallkill, was sentenced in Orange County Court to an aggregate term of nine (9) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision relative to his previous guilty plea to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, on September 23, 2024, Davis sold approximately twenty (20) grams of cocaine to an undercover police officer in the Town of Newburgh. On October 1, 2024, the undercover police officer arranged with Davis to purchase additional cocaine. As part of the sale, Davis told the undercover officer to pay his girlfriend, Jennifer Burtwell, and that the cocaine would be ready later that night. At a pre-arranged location later in the day, the undercover officer met with Sean Foster who gave the undercover officer approximately sixty-one (61) grams of cocaine in exchange for the money given to Burtwell earlier. On October 29, 2024, law enforcement executed a judicially-authorized search warrant at Davis’s residence in the Town of Newburgh which resulted in the recovery of a loaded and operable .9mm handgun. When Davis was stopped by the police that day, he had on his person approximately one hundred (100) grams of cocaine. At the plea proceedings, Davis admitted to selling two (2) ounces or more of cocaine and illegally possessing the loaded firearm. For their part, Burtwell and Foster previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentence.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the New York State Police Violent Gangs and Narcotics Enforcement Team (VGNET) for their investigation which led to the arrest of the defendants. District Attorney Hoovler also thanked the Town of Newburgh Police Department and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during the investigation.
“We in law enforcement, as we must, prioritize the safety of our communities by targeting dangerous drug dealers who are far too often found with illegal firearms,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “These crimes require dedicated investigations by talented law enforcement professionals who risk their own safety to infiltrate and disrupt illicit narcotics operations in Orange County. The fruits of that investigation have now ensured that a drug dealer is no longer free to endanger others.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Peter Fernandez.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
