DA announces guilty pleas in Wallkill narcotics case

On Monday, June 24, Ronald Lempka, 23, of Middletown and Keanu Alicea, 29, of Montague, NJ, pled guilty in Orange County Court to criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced. According to the announcement, Hoovler’s team will recommend sentences of nine years in prison to be followed by five years of post-release supervision when they are scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, 2024. The Court agreed to cap the defendants’ sentences at seven years in prison. It is expected that the defendants will also forfeit proceeds or instrumentalities of their crimes as part of the disposition, according to Hoovler.

As alleged in court, a months-long undercover investigation into the trafficking of cocaine in and around the town of Wallkill via Montague, NJ, resulted in the execution of search warrants at residences and vehicles in Wallkill and Montague. The searches allegedly yielded 150 grams of cocaine, over $28,000 in U.S. currency, and a defaced handgun. At the plea proceedings, the defendants admitted to selling “one half ounce or more of cocaine.”

Hoovler thanked the Orange County Drug Task Force, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation which led to the arrests of Lempka and Alicea. Hoovler also thanked the New York State Police Violent Gangs and Narcotics Enforcement Team (VGNET); Sussex NJ Guns, Gangs and Narcotics Task Force; Town of Wallkill Police Department; City of Middletown Police Department; and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center for their assistance during the investigation.

“High-level narcotics trafficking can only be disrupted by sophisticated and dedicated law enforcement investigations,” said Hoovler. “My office will continue to dedicate resources to the types of long-term narcotics investigations that result in arrests and convictions such as seen in this case. We must continue to counter the deadly spread of drugs in our communities. We remain steadfast in our dedication to identify drug dealers and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory.