'Operation Hot Lunch' Food Truck Trafficking Sting: Latest Conviction

NEWBURGH, NY — "Operation Hot Lunch" is still showing no signs of cooling off, as another defendant admits his role in the complex criminal operation, prosecutors said.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 37-year-old Andre Smith, of Poughkeepsie, pleaded guilty on Oct. 21, to first-degree criminal sale of a firearm. Under the plea agreement, it will be recommended that he be sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of post-release supervision, when he is scheduled for sentencing on January 6.

SEE ALSO:

• Latest Defendant Admits Guilt In 'Operation Hot Lunch' Case
• Food Truck Trafficker In 'Operation Hot Lunch' Sting Admits Guilt
• Defendant Gets Prison In 'Operation Hot Lunch' Case
• Food-Truck Trafficking: 33 Accused In 'Operation Hot Lunch' By DA

The six-month-long investigation into illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking in Orange County, "Operation Hot Lunch," was conducted by the Orange County Drug Task Force, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the City of Middletown Police Department, the New York State Police, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center. The operation resulted in 33 people being charged with narcotics, firearm and conspiracy offenses.

According to court documents, Operation Hot Lunch found that Kirkland Salmon was at the center of four different conspiracies to traffic narcotics and firearms through Orange County.

He was supplied with cocaine by two different narcotics suppliers, Owen Beckford, a/k/a "Marvin Ottley," and Joshua Arnold, to distribute from his food truck parked in the City of Newburgh. Salmon was also supplied with firearms by Andre Smith to resell in Orange County.

Over six months, law enforcement learned of Beckford and Arnold's narcotics distribution organizations, both of which distributed cocaine in the City of Newburgh and elsewhere in Orange County. During the operation, law enforcement recovered 24 firearms and one kilogram of cocaine.

On May 21, 2024, the day of the enforcement action, police also recovered over 11 kilograms of cocaine, around 90 grams of fentanyl, seven guns, high-capacity magazines, several rounds of ammunition, an estimated $45,000 in US currency, scales and packaging materials used in narcotics trafficking, and 10 vehicles that were used in the crimes charged. In addition, a food truck was seized.

During plea proceedings, Smith admitted that between April 28, 2024 and May 8, 2024, he "knowingly and unlawfully sold three or more firearms to another person or persons."

"The conviction and expected sentence for this defendant underscores the importance of dedicated, long-term investigations to disrupt and dismantle operations that traffic in narcotics and guns," Hoovler said. "We have worked closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to leverage our resources and ensure that our streets are safe from the peril of drugs and the violence wrought by illegally possessed guns. I commend the dedication of the police and prosecutors assigned to the case who delivered justice on behalf of the People of Orange County."

The district attorney thanked the agencies involved in the investigation, as well as the following agencies who assisted in the enforcement action: the City of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of Woodbury Police Department, the Town of Montgomery Police Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson Police Department.