Antonio Perez-Molina Faces up to 18 Years to Life in Prison Case is 14th Major Trafficker Prosecution by OCDA
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, January 26, 2024, Antonio Perez-Molina, 42, of Otisville, pled guilty in Orange County Court to Operating as a Major Trafficker. The plea was entered after a jury trial in the matter had commenced. Under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Perez-Molina pled guilty, he faces up to eighteen (18) years to life when he is sentenced on March 18, 2024.
The charges against Perez-Molina and numerous other co-defendants stemmed from a long-term drug sale and possession operation. On August 18, 2021, the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (VGNET), in conjunction with the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut State’s Attorney Office, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, conducted an enforcement action, dubbed “Operation Off the Brick,” involving the trafficking of cocaine in Orange County and Connecticut. Search warrants were executed at several locations: the Village of Otisville, the City of Middletown, the Town of Blooming Grove, and the Ulster County Hamlet of Kerhonkson. In addition, the Connecticut State Police executed search warrants on August 5, 2021, and August 18, 2021.
During the execution of the search warrants, police seized over 1,100 grams of cocaine, three loaded handguns, one shotgun, and approximately $70,000 in United States currency.
At the plea proceedings, Perez-Molina admitted that he acted as a director of a controlled substance organization during a period of twelve months or less, during which period such controlled substance organization sold cocaine, and the proceeds collected or due from such sale or sales had a total aggregate value of seventy-five thousand dollars or more.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the New York State Police VGNET; the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Northwest Field Office; the Connecticut State’s Attorney’s Office; the City of Waterbury Police Department Vice and Intelligence Unit; and the City of Waterbury Police Department Gangs Task Force, for their assistance in the investigation of the case.
“We put a focus on long-term narcotics investigations because the major traffickers unveiled in these investigations pose the greatest risk of causing death in our communities,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Our results speak for themselves on these matters. My Office has dedicated countless time and resources to these cases, and we are ready, willing and able to try these matters to verdict when necessary. The defendant in this case will have 18 years to think about all of those individuals that he poisoned or put at grave risk of death in order to benefit himself.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory and Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Kelly.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
