Saratoga Springs drug investigation has led to 19 arrests so far

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Nineteen people have been arrested on felony drug sale and possession charges in Saratoga Springs in recent months as part of a still-active narcotics investigation.

“It’s been an ongoing investigation since last summer,” said Lt. John Catone, head of investigations for the Saratoga Springs Police Department.

The drugs being sold in the city include cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine and a variety of prescription drugs, such as hydrocodone.

The majority of the arrests have been by city police with the help of the Capital District Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force and the state police’s Community Narcotics Enforcement Team.

“We do have a drug problem, a drug issue we are trying to deal with,” Catone said Thursday about Saratoga Springs. The majority of the drugs come out of New York City, he said.

Those arrested so far come from Queens, Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, Wilton and Glens Falls.

Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said most of the 19 felony drug cases are still working their way through the court system.

He said people in law enforcement are hearing that some drug dealers are starting to stay out of Saratoga County because of the police surveillance, arrests and tough prison sentences.

“They do not want to come into Saratoga County because the sentences are severe. They won’t come across the [Twin] bridges,” Murphy said.

“We are holding these people criminally responsible and we are deterring them,” he said. He said drug dealers who encourage people to become addicted to cocaine or heroin “should go to prison for a long time and [County Court Judge Jerry J. Scarano] agrees.”

The sale and distribution of such drugs as cocaine and heroin in Saratoga Springs that led to the arrests took place in a variety of locations, Catone said, including along Broadway, in parking lots, in hotels and motels, at gas stations, in residential neighborhoods and in parks.

“It was not isolated to one location,” he said.

He said many arrests were made in conjunction with the DEA Task Force, some with the CNET officers, and some strictly by the city police department’s narcotics investigators.

“The overall success can be attributed to the excellent working relationships between the agencies, sharing of information, resources and manpower,” Catone said in a statement.

He said during the investigation six search warrants were obtained, two vehicles and $10,000 in cash were seized, and approximately $40,000 worth of drugs was confiscated.

“We will continue to be very aggressive and proactive in the ongoing battle to combat the illegal narcotics sales and distribution in the city of Saratoga Springs,” he said.

Those arrested starting in late December through this week on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance were:

• Michelle Pinkney, 33, of Grandview Terrace in Albany;

• Robert Herring, 47, of Northline Road in Ballston Spa;

• Kakuan A. Jackson, 39, of Grand Avenue in Saratoga Springs;

• Tristan A. Frey, 21, of Lawrence Street in Saratoga Springs;

• Christopher A. Herring, 30, of Mumford Street in Schenectady;

• Celena M. Rich, 33, of Joseph Street in Saratoga Springs;

• Marlin C. Turner, 29, of Stone Church Road in Ballston Spa;

• Godfrey A. Waldron, 33, of Maxwell Drive in Saratoga Springs;

• Quentin Pinkney, 31, of Crowne Terrace in Albany;

• Tyrone Abdul Dehoyos, 34, of 224th Street in Queens;

• Zorry Williams, 24, of Jefferson Street in Saratoga Springs;

• Felix Moran, 34, of Kenworthy Avenue in Glens Falls;

• Kaleef Y. Krigger, 27, of Kenworthy Avenue in Glens Falls;

• Damien D. Small, 29, of Route 9P in Saratoga Springs;

• William Tobin, 54, of Schenectady;

• George A. Dumortier, 44, of West Circular Street in Saratoga Springs.

Charged with felony conspiracy related to drug sale and possession were:

• Eric Buell, 29, of Route 32 in Gansevoort;

• Stacey A. Walker, 41, of Maxwell Drive in Saratoga Springs;

• Danette M. Clarke, 56, of Birch Meadows Estate in Saratoga Springs.

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Categories: Schenectady County