Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – A coordinated operation by the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force has led to the arrest of a Newburgh man accused of transporting and selling fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in Dutchess County.

The suspect, identified as Antwan J. Wakely Jr., 31, was apprehended on August 22, 2024, by Drug Task Force Agents. The arrest took place in the City of Poughkeepsie, where Wakely was located operating his vehicle. The operation was supported by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Service Unit and members of the City of Poughkeepsie Neighborhood Recovery Unit.

Wakely was found in possession of a significant quantity of fentanyl and cocaine, both packaged and ready for sale. Authorities had identified Wakely as a key figure in the distribution of fentanyl and other narcotics, having sold these substances to undercover Drug Task Force Agents after transporting them from the Newburgh area into Dutchess County.

Wakely has been charged with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree with intent to sell, a class B felony, and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a class D felony. Additional charges related to the sale of narcotics to Drug Task Force Agents are pending.

Wakely is currently being held at the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office in Poughkeepsie, pending his arraignment.

The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement continues to combat the transportation and sale of illegal drugs in the region.

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