Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced this week that Sherlan Simpson, 37, of Newburgh, was convicted after a jury trial in the Orange County Court of all charges against him including first-and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and first-degree perjury.
Simpson faces up to a maximum sentence of up to 31 years in state prison.
The case
According to the press release issued by Hoovler’s office:
Simpson was stopped for a vehicle and traffic violation in the vicinity of Route 32 in the Town of Woodbury. State Troopers observed a backpack in the back seat of Simpson’s vehicle. Simpson then fled the traffic stop in his car, racing into the Woodbury Commons where surveillance video showed a backpack being thrown from the car.
State Police recovered the bag from where the defendant threw it and inside was the defendant’s personal belongings as well as two kilos of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $200,000.
Subsequent DNA analysis of the contents of the bag matched the defendant.
Appearing before the Orange County Grand Jury five days later, the defendant elected to testify on his own behalf, as is his right. After taking the oath to tell the truth, Simpson denied that he ever had a backpack in the car or threw the backpack from the vehicle.
Woodbury police assisted
“This defendant was prevented from peddling his drugs in our communities by his arrest, prosecution and conviction,” Hoovler said. “I thank the law enforcement agencies responsible for this defendant’s arrest and reiterate my office’s dedication to targeting the trafficking of narcotics throughout Orange County.”
The Town of Woodbury Police Department assisted in the apprehension of Simpson.