Dwayne Salmon Previously Pled Guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Dwayne Salmon, age 46, of Newburgh, was sentenced in Orange County Court to thirteen and one-half (13.5) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision relative to his guilty plea to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree.
The case was the result of the coordinated efforts of numerous law enforcement agencies who 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 the arrests of twenty-six (26) people charged with narcotics, firearm and conspiracy offenses.
A 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, Dwayne Salmon admitted that, as part of the conspiracy with his brother Kirkland Salmon, he possessed eight (8) ounces or more of cocaine.
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.
“The success of Operation Hot Lunch is a testament to the power of cooperation and coordination amongst local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “We remain committed to dedicating the resources necessary to run long term investigations that disrupts the flow of deadly narcotics and weapons into our communities. The sentence imposed on this defendant is yet another example of the consequences that dangerous offenders face when they choose to commit their crimes in Orange County.”
“This defendant helped drive a criminal enterprise built on drugs, guns, and profit at the expense of our community,” said Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: if you traffic narcotics or illegal firearms in Orange County, we will find you, we will investigate you, and you will face serious consequences.”
“This conviction demonstrates what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal partners work together toward a common goal. By targeting individuals involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs and firearms, we are helping to reduce the threats these criminal enterprises pose to our communities. ATF is proud to stand alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in the ongoing effort to disrupt violent crime and protect the public. We thank everyone involved for their dedication and commitment to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge of the ATF New York Field Division Bryan DiGirolamo.
The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police 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.
