District Attorney Hoovler Announces Guilty Plea by Newburgh Drug Dealer
Ronald Davis Pled Guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree
People to Recommend Sentence of 10 Years in Prison
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Ronald Davis, 53, of Wallkill, pled guilty in Orange County Court to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. Under the plea agreement announced on the record at the time that Davis pled guilty, the People will recommend he be sentenced to an aggregate term of ten (10) years in prison to be followed by five(5) years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on July 29, 2025.
As alleged in documents filed and statements made in court, on September 23, 2024, Davis sold approximately twenty (20) grams of cocaine to an undercover police officer in the Town of Newburgh. On October 1, 2024, the undercover police officer arranged with Davis to purchase additional cocaine. As part of the sale, Davis told the undercover officer to pay his girlfriend, Jennifer Burtwell, and that the cocaine would be ready later that night. At a pre-arranged location later in the day, the undercover officer met with Sean Foster who gave the undercover officer approximately sixty-one (61) grams of cocaine in exchange for the money given to Burtwell earlier. On October 29, 2024, law enforcement executed a judicially-authorized search warrant at Davis’s residence in the Town of Newburgh which resulted in the recovery of a loaded and operable .9mm handgun. When Davis was stopped by the police that day, he had on his person approximately one hundred (100) grams of cocaine. At the plea proceedings, Davis admitted to selling two (2) ounces or more of cocaine and illegallypossessing the loaded firearm. For their part, Burtwell and Foster previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentence.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the New York State PoliceViolent Gangs and Narcotics Enforcement Team (VGNET) for their investigation which led to the arrest of the defendants. District Attorney Hoovler also thanked the Town of Newburgh Police Department and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during the investigation.
“Illegal narcotics are being sold by those individuals who also illegally possess and often wield deadly firearms to operate their business,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Law enforcement will not tolerate these dangerous crimes and I commend the New York State Police for their dedicated investigation to infiltrate and disrupt illicit narcotics operations in Orange County. The anticipated sentence in this case will serve not only to remove a dangerous drug dealer from our community, but also stand as a warning to those who might consider similar crimes. Narcotics interdictions, such as the operation in this case, are important tools in our ongoing efforts to make and keep our streets safe for us all.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Peter Fernandez.
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.