Orange County News
For Immediate Release                                                                           Contact: Christopher Borek
Tuesday, March 06, 2018                                                                  845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c

District Attorney Hoovler Announces State Prison Sentence in Narcotics Case

Defendant Sentenced to 12 Years in State Prison for Criminal Possession of a
Controlled Substance in the First Degree

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Monday, March 5, 2017 Jmin Ward, 36, of Middletown, was sentenced by Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown to the twelve years in state prison and five years post-release supervision.  On December 7, 2017, Ward had pleaded guilty to the crime of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, for having possessed over eight ounces of crack-cocaine.

At the time that Ward pled guilty, he admitted that on April 20, 2017, he knowingly possessed the cocaine at his residence at 41 Woodlake Drive in the City of Middletown. The cocaine was discovered when City of Middletown police officers, aided by the Orange County Sheriff’s Special Operations Group, executed a search warrant at Ward’s residence at 5:00 that morning. Ward had also been charged with two counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree, for possessing scales and packaging materials, which are commonly used in the drug trade.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation and for the arrest of Ward, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Special Operations Group for their assistance in executing the search warrant.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Healy.

“Major narcotics dealers deserve lengthy state prison sentences and this defendant’s conduct merited his being sentenced to twelve years in state prison,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Narcotics continue to be the number one driver of crimes throughout Orange County. My office will seek severe prison sentences for anyone who engages in the sale or possession of large amounts of narcotics. I commend the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation of this case, and for the recovery of the cocaine, scales, and packaging materials from the defendant’s residence. I also thank the Sheriff’s Special Operations Group for aiding in the execution of the search warrant. It is only through the cooperation of all our law enforcement agencies, and the support of the public, that we can stop the devastation to our communities caused by narcotics.”