Investigators say an undercover operation led to the arrest of a 50-year-old man accused of repeatedly selling narcotics in Poughkeepsie.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – A 50-year-old man accused of selling crack cocaine near Vassar College has been arrested following an undercover investigation by the Dutchess County Drug Task Force.
Taryll Cutchin was taken into custody Monday inside the College Wash and Dry Laundromat on Raymond Avenue, according to the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office. Investigators said he was carrying narcotics packaged for sale when agents moved in.
The arrest followed an investigation in Poughkeepsie’s Arlington Business District, where agents said they identified suspected narcotics sales occurring in and around the laundromat.
Undercover Agents Made Repeated Drug Buys
According to the District Attorney’s Office, agents identified Cutchin during the investigation and purchased narcotics from him on numerous occasions.
Investigators said those transactions took place in the area as agents gathered evidence of suspected drug distribution.
Cutchin was charged with one count of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a Class B felony.
Prosecutors said additional charges connected to the alleged sale of narcotics are pending.
Arrest Made Inside Raymond Avenue Laundromat
Drug Task Force members arrested Cutchin Oct. 6 inside College Wash and Dry Laundromat on Raymond Avenue.
He was later arraigned in Poughkeepsie City Court by a judge covering for Town of Poughkeepsie Court and was subsequently released as required by New York law, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“The alleged sale of narcotics from a business in the heart of the Arlington community, near Vassar College and surrounded by residents, students, and other businesses, is exactly the type of activity our Drug Task Force is working every day to disrupt,” District Attorney Anthony Parisi said.
Anyone with information about drug activity in Dutchess County can contact the Drug Task Force confidential tip line at 845-463-6040.
The charge against Cutchin is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.