PHILMONT DRUG DEALER ARRESTED AFTER MULTI-AGENCY INVESTIGATION
Columbia County Sheriff David P. Bartlett reports the arrest of four local individuals by Deputies and Investigators of the Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit as a result of a six week drug investigation. . The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Hudson Police Department, The New York State Police, the Columbia County Probation Department and the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office.
On Wednesday, September 27th, 2017 at approximately 12:29pm in the afternoon, the Columbia- Greene Shared Services Response Team executed a search warrant which was issued by Columbia County Judge Richard Koweek.
The warrant was for a residence located at 160 Main Street, Apartment #3, in the Village of Philmont, Columbia County, New York. As a result of the search, a quantity of crack cocaine, marijuana, packaging equipment, supplies, and paraphernalia were recovered. The evidence recovered indicated that the suspects intended to sell the illegal drugs.
Arrested as a result of this investigation was Dawaun Atkins, age 38, who resides at that address. Atkins was arrested on an outstanding Superior Court drug warrant. He was arraigned in Columbia County Court before Judge Jonathan Nichols and remanded to the Columbia County Jail with no bail. Additional charges are pending for the illegal drugs which were seized as a result of the search of his apartment.
Additionally, there were three other occupants in the apartment that were arrested. The three arrested were 33 year old Crystal VanAlphen of 160 Main Street, Apt. #3, Philmont, 37 year old Christina Niegel of Main Street, Philmont, and 57 year old Anna Decker of 7 Church Street, Philmont. All three defendants were charged with one count each of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, which is a Class A Misdemeanor. They were issued appearance tickets returnable to the Village of Philmont Court at a later date. The investigation is continuing and more charges are pending.
Sheriff Bartlett states, “We will continue to aggressively go after the people spreading this poison on our streets. We are looking for anyone with any information to contact our tips line at 518-822-8477, which is completely confidential. We will fight this war together with the community’s help.”
