Investigation underway into fatal stabbing in Bridgeton

Orange County, New York—In a significant development in the Operation Hide in Plain Sight drug investigation, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Taino Lopez, 26, of Port Jervis, was sentenced to 7-14 years in state prison. The sentence was announced Thursday, July 26, following Lopez’s guilty plea to Conspiracy in the Second Degree on Jan. 4, 2024.

Lopez pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy with Angelica “Jelly” Rodriguez and Michael Rodriguez involving Class A felonies, specifically possession and sale of controlled substances. The operation was a joint effort between the Middletown City Police Department and the Orange County Drug Taskforce, exposing an extensive cocaine trafficking operation in the area.

Angelica Rodriguez, 40, of Middletown, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Feb. 27, 2024, followed by three years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty to charges including third-degree possession of a controlled substance. Michael Rodriguez, 49, of Yonkers, also sentenced Jan. 4, faces a similar sentence of 10 years plus post-release supervision for his role in trafficking cocaine and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The investigation, which spanned more than two years, intensified with a court-approved wiretap when initial methods proved inadequate. A raid on Michael Rodriguez’s Yonkers home on July 26, 2023, led to the seizure of more than 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, significant amounts of cash, firearms and other paraphernalia, underscoring the scale of this drug network.