Jury Convicts Hudson Valley Man Of Illegal Fentanyl Possession

GOSHEN, NY — A Port Jervis man was convicted by a jury of illegally having fentanyl and cocaine.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said Sheldon Cooper, 36, of Port Jervis was convicted of all charges including third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony.

He faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison and three years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced June 9.

Cooper was remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail following the jury's verdict.

Prosecutors said he was arrested following the execution of a search warrant at the Hampton Inn located in the town of Wallkill in July.

Among the items seized during the search were about 43 grams of fentanyl, 9.5 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, packaging materials commonly used for narcotics sales, $4,621 and about 34.5 grams of a substance commonly used as a cutting agent by those involved in drug sales.

At the time of the execution of the warrant, there was also a 2-1/2-year-old child in the hotel room.

Hoovler said he was particularly troubled by the presence of fentanyl around children and vowed to continue to pursue those who profit from the sale of narcotics.

"We face an ongoing battle against the scourge of dangerous drugs in our communities," he said. "We will seek to hold those offenders accountable, even in the face of challenges presented by the pandemic."