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Orange county drug trafficker sentenced to 13 years in prison following major investigation — Prison Barbed Wire Fence.Prison Cell's Bars. Jail, Detail of Confinement and Crime, Justice. Prison Interior. Concept of Limiting Freedom.

CHESTER, N.Y. — Andrew Mitchell, 49, known by the alias “Loc,” has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for operating as a major drug trafficker in Orange County. Mitchell’s sentencing on December 20 follows his guilty plea earlier this year and comes as a result of “Operation Final Blow,” a months-long investigation targeting major narcotics distribution in the region.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced the sentence, which includes the forfeiture of two luxury vehicles tied to Mitchell’s crimes. At his plea hearing, Mitchell admitted to selling cocaine in quantities valued at $75,000 or more over a six-month period.

The investigation, spearheaded by the City of Port Jervis Police Department and the Orange County Drug Task Force, involved state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. Utilizing court-ordered eavesdropping and executing 17 search warrants, authorities seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, 165 grams of fentanyl, 74 grams of heroin, 1,600 ecstasy pills, 235 oxycodone pills, seven illegally possessed firearms, $153,690 in cash, and numerous vehicles.

“Operation Final Blow” disrupted drug trafficking networks in Port Jervis, Pike County (Pennsylvania), and surrounding areas. Mitchell’s conviction highlights law enforcement’s commitment to targeting high-ranking dealers.

“The only way to disrupt high-level narcotics trafficking is through painstaking long-term investigations by law enforcement,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “This operation helped to bring higher-level dealers, including this defendant, to justice.”

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