Chester man pleads guilty to being a major drug trafficker

GOSHEN – A 49-year-old Chester man pleaded guilty in Orange County Court to acting as a major drug trafficker.

Andrew Mitchell, also known as “Loc,” was arrested following a more than four-month investigation aimed at disrupting large-scale drug trafficking in the city of Port Jervis and surrounding areas, including Pike County, Pennsylvania.

The investigation, called “Operation Final Blow,” involved multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Search warrants executed during the investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately two kilograms of cocaine, 74 grams of heroin, 165 grams of fentanyl, 1,600 ecstasy pills and 235 oxycodone pills, as well as seven illegally possessed firearms and over $153,000 in cash.

In addition, 11 cars, four motorcycles and two ATVs were seized.

On plea, Mitchell admitted that he sold cocaine as a profit dealer on one or more occasions within a period of six months or less and that the proceeds received or due had a total value of more than $75,000 or more.

Under the plea agreement announced Friday, prosecutors will recommend he be sentenced to 13 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision at his sentencing in December.

He must also forfeit two luxury vehicles as proceeds or aid to his crimes.

The investigation was initially initiated by the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the Orange County Drug Task Force, the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Pike County Criminal Investigations Division of the Pike County District Attorney's Office and the Orange District Attorney's Office. This included the use of court-ordered wiretaps and the execution of 17 search warrants.

Other law enforcement agencies that provided critical assistance in the investigation included the City of Deerpark Police Department, the City of Middletown Police Department, the City of Wallkill Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, the Sussex County Guns, Gang and Narcotics Taskforce and the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office. Federal agencies supporting the operation included Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI's Safe Streets Taskforce, and the United States Marshall's Service Fugitive Task Force.