Orange County News
For Immediate Release                                                                   Contact: Ryan Greenbaum 
 Thursday, May 11, 2023                                                            845.615.3657, 845.415.0868c

DA Hoovler and Orange County Sheriff Arteta Announce Arrest in Long Term Narcotics Investigation

Monroe Man Charged After Three Month Investigation

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler and Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, announced that Josias Rivera, 30, of Monroe, was arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree.  Rivera was arraigned in the Centralized Arraignment Part and remanded to the Orange County Jail in lieu of bail.

As alleged in charging documents filed in court, on May 11, 2023 police officers executed a judicially authorized search warrant at a residence in Monroe.  During the execution of the search warrant, the police recovered approximately 46 grams of cocaine, 7.5 grams of MDMA, a loaded ghost gun, a shotgun, ammunition, and a large quantity of US currency.  The search warrant was the culmination of a three-month multi-agency investigation into narcotics trafficking in the area.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Orange County Drug Task Force, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation which led to the arrest of Rivera. District Attorney Hoovler also thanked the Orange County Sheriff’s Special Operation Group, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center for their assistance during the investigation.

“Often where we find the illegal narcotics trade, we find illegally possessed and dangerous weapons,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “My Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prioritize identifying drug dealers and seeking to hold them accountable.  It takes the dedicated and coordinated efforts of many law enforcement agencies for investigations such as this one to work.  I commend the cooperation and commitment by the police agencies involved in this case.”

“The proof of illegal drug sales and possession of illegal weapons go hand in hand, is once again verified by criminal investigations conducted by the Orange County Drug Task Force,” said Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta. “The Sheriff’s Office will use all available assets while continuing to rid these individuals from all our Orange County communities. Continuous collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office and ATF will disrupt these types of criminal acts.”

The case is being prosecuted by 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.