Orange County News
For Immediate Release Contact: Christopher Borek
November 30, 2018 845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c
District Attorney Hoovler Announces State Prison Sentences in
Middletown “Coke Wave Gang” Homicide Case
Tramel Morman, who Pled Guilty to Murder in Fatal Shooting of Coree White Sentenced to
18 Years to Life in State Prison
Juwan Dolson, who Pled Guilty to Attempted Murder, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison
Isaya Dolson, who Pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Sentenced to
3 to 9 Years in State Prison
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, November 30, 2018, three defendants, who are all alleged to be members of a Middletown gang calling itself “Coke Wave”, were sentenced by Orange County Court Judge William DeProspo to state prison in connection with August 17, 2017, shooting death of Coree White in the City of Middletown. All three defendants had pleaded guilty on September 28, 2018. Tramel Morman, a/k/a “Biggs,” a/k/a “Splash,” age 25, of Middletown, who had pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree was sentenced to 18 years in state prison. Juwan Dolson, a/k/a “La Capone,” a/k/a “Wanny,” age 21, of Middletown, who had pleaded guilty to Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, was sentenced to ten years in state prison and five years post-release supervison. Isaya Dolson, a/k/a “Dolo,” age 23, of Middletown, who had pleaded guilty to Conspiracy in the Second Degree, for conspiring with Morman and Juwan Dolson to murder Coree White, was sentenced to three to nine years in state prison.
The indictment alleged that Tramel Morman, Juwan Dolson, Isaya Dolson, and others, were members of “Coke Wave”, a gang which sold narcotics, illegally possessed firearms, and committed violent acts against rival groups, including Guap Gang, and that White was shot and killed in furtherance of Coke Wave members’ conspiracy to sell narcotics.
During the investigation into the shooting death of Coree White, the City of Middletown Police Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, aided by the New York State Police, including its Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (“CNET”); special agents from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group, commenced an investigation into whether Coke Wave was trafficking narcotics in the Linden Avenue area of Middletown and using force and intimidation to keep rival groups from selling narcotics in the area.
On August 21, 2018, law enforcement officials announced that thirteen individuals alleged to be members or associates of “Coke Wave” had been arrested and charged with crimes ranging from murder, to narcotics sales, to conspiracy, in an enforcement action dubbed “Operation Wipeout.”
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department and the New York State Police for their investigation of murder case and for the defendants’ arrest.
“Hopefully the sentences in this case will make clear that we will not tolerate gang violence here in Orange County, and will use every resource at our disposal to combat it,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Violent street gangs hoping to profit from the devastation that narcotics are already wreaking on our communities must be combated at every level. The murder of Coree White is further proof that where there is organized narcotics dealing, gun violence inevitably follows I commend the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation of this case and for recognizing the connection between violence and organized narcotics activity. I thank the White family for their patience as this investigation and prosecution continued. No sentence can ever compensate for the loss of a loved one, but I hope today’s sentencings brings some measure of closure to the victim’s family.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Senior Assistant District Attorney Kerry Kolek, who prosecuted the murder case.
