40 people indicted for trafficking cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and prescription medications
Goshen. Courts set bail on only three defendants based largely on new bail laws
Warwick /
| 17 Sep 2020 | 02:56
An Orange County Grand Jury has indicted forty men and women on crimes pertaining to the trafficking of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and prescription medications throughout Orange County.
The enforcement was conducted by the Orange County Drug Task Force, the New York State Police, the City of Middletown Police and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and primarily used undercover police officers to purchase narcotics and prescription medications.
Assistance from Warwick and Monroe
Warwick Town Police, Monroe Village Police and U.S. Marshalls Fugitive Task Force were among those agencies assisting in the action.
The crimes charged in the indictments stem from incidents which occurred from late Fall 2018 through May 2020. Those arrested range in age from 20 to 69.
No bail for 37 of those indicted
In 2019, legislation was enacted that limits the courts’ ability to set bail for offenses involving narcotics sales. In previous narcotics sweeps some bail was set by the court for almost all defendants charged with selling narcotics.
Although the District Attorney’s Office has requested bail in every bail-eligible case, bail has only been ordered for three of the forty defendants charged in connection with this enforcement action. Bail was set on two defendants after prosecutors argued that their status as persistent violent felony offenders rendered each of them bail eligible. Bail was also set on a defendant who was on parole.
Two cases
However, courts did not set bail in every eligible case.
For instance, the District Attorney’s office requested that bail be set on Cory Mansfield, 26, of Chester, who was charged with selling Alprazolam to an undercover officer. Prosecutors argued that Mansfield was eligible to have bail set even under the new law because he was on probation for a violent felony.
The court released Mansfield without bail.
In addition, Niki Capaci, 37, of Middletown, was arraigned in Orange County Court on an indictment charging her with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. She was released without bail.
Within five days, Capaci was again arrested and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for possessing 820 decks of suspected heroin.
Although the District Attorney’s Office requested that bail be set on Capaci in the Town of Monroe Court, Capaci was again released without bail.
The District Attorney’s Office is bringing an application in County Court to have bail set on the indicted case.
Currently, Capaci remains at liberty.
The charges
The following individuals were among the 38 people charged with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, Class B felonies that carry penalties of up to 25 years in prison:
David Cabassa, 28, of Highland Mills, is charged with selling cocaine in the Town of Woodbury to an undercover officer from the Orange County Drug Task Force.
Alberta Defreese, 66, of Warwick, is charged with selling oxycodone in the Town of Warwick to an officer from the Orange County Drug Task Force.
Andre Riley, 28, of Goshen, is charged with selling cocaine in the Town and Village of Goshen to an officer from the New York State Police.
The following individuals are charged with fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, Class D felonies that carry penalties of up to seven years in prison:
Corey Mansfield, 26, of Chester, is charged with selling the prescription medication Alprazolam in the Town of Chester to an officer with the Orange County Drug Task Force. Alprazolam belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves to produce a calming effect.
Kim Frawley, 53, of the Village of Florida, is charged with selling the prescription medication Alprazolam in the Village of Florida to an officer with the Orange County Drug Task Force.
All were released without bail.