Andre Smith Pled Guilty to Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Andre Smith, 39, of Poughkeepsie, was sentenced in Orange County Court to fifteen (15) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision relative to his guilty plea to Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree.
On May 21, 2024, the coordinated efforts of numerous law enforcement agencies conducted an enforcement action after a long-term investigation into firearm and narcotics trafficking in Orange County. The operation, code named “Hot Lunch”, resulted in thirty-three (33) people being charged with narcotics, firearm and conspiracy offenses. The six (6) month long intensive investigation into illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking in Orange County was conducted by the Orange County Drug Task Force (OCDTF), the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Middletown Police Department, New York State Police, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center. As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, the investigation revealed that Kirkland Salmon was at the center of four different conspiracies to traffic narcotics and firearms through Orange County. Salmon was supplied with quantities of cocaine by two different narcotics suppliers, Owen Beckford a/k/a Marvin Ottley and Joshua Arnold, to distribute from his food truck parked in the City of Newburgh. Salmon was also supplied with firearms to resell in Orange County by Andre Smith. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned of Beckford’s and Arnold’s narcotics distribution organizations, both of which distributed cocaine in the City of Newburgh and elsewhere in Orange County. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered twenty-four (24) firearms and one (1) kilogram of cocaine. On the day of the enforcement action on May 21, 2024, police additionally recovered over eleven (11) kilograms of cocaine, approximately ninety (90) grams of fentanyl, seven (7) guns, high-capacity magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, approximately $45,000 of US currency, scales and packaging materials used in narcotics trafficking and ten (10) vehicles that were instrumentalities of the crimes charged. Additionally, law enforcement seized one food truck.
At the plea proceedings, Smith admitted that between April 28, 2024 and May 8, 2024 he knowingly and unlawfully sold three or more firearms to another person or persons.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the agencies involved in the investigation, as well as the following agencies who assisted in the enforcement action on May 21, 2024: City of Newburgh Police Department; Town of Newburgh Police Department; Town of Woodbury Police Department; Town of Montgomery Police Department; Town of Wallkill Police Department; and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson Police Department.
“Sophisticated criminal organizations that traffic in guns and drugs pose a real and present danger to our communities,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “But we in law enforcement will not rest until those crime drivers responsible for these enterprises are identified and held accountable. Successful operations such as ‘Hot Lunch’ require the close coordination between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. This collaboration leads to excellent outcomes, like was seen in this case. I again commend the dedication of the police and prosecutors assigned to the case who delivered justice on behalf of the People of Orange County.”
“Individuals who knowingly traffic multiple firearms fuel violence and place entire communities at risk. This sentencing underscores the importance of sustained investigative efforts aimed at dismantling firearms and drug trafficking networks at their source. ATF New York remains steadfast in its commitment to working alongside our partners at every level to stem the flow of illegal firearms and enhance public safety across our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the ATF New York Field Division Bryan DiGirolamo.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory.
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.
