Latest Defendant Admits Guilt In 'Operation Hot Lunch' Case

NEWBURGH, NY — "Operation Hot Lunch" is showing no signs of cooling off, as another defendant admits his role in the complex criminal operation, prosecutors said.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 46-year-old Russell Knight, of Newburgh, pled guilty last week to second degree conspiracy and third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Under the plea agreement, it will be recommended that he be sentenced to five to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of post-release supervision when he is scheduled for sentencing on March 3, 2025.

The six-month-long investigation into illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking in Orange County, "Operation Hot Lunch," was conducted by the Orange County Drug Task Force, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the City of Middletown Police Department, New York State Police, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center. The operation resulted in the arrests of 26 people charged with narcotics, firearm and conspiracy offenses.

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According to court documents, Operation Hot Lunch found that Kirkland Salmon was at the center of four different conspiracies to traffic narcotics and firearms through Orange County.

He was supplied with cocaine by two different narcotics suppliers, Owen Beckford, a/k/a "Marvin Ottley," and Joshua Arnold, to distribute from his food truck parked in the City of Newburgh. Salmon was also supplied with firearms by Andre Smith to resell in Orange County.

Over six months, law enforcement learned of Beckford and Arnold's narcotics distribution organizations, both of which distributed cocaine in the City of Newburgh and elsewhere in Orange County. During the operation, law enforcement recovered 24 firearms and one kilogram of cocaine.

On the day of the enforcement action on May 21, police also recovered over 11 kilograms of cocaine, around 90 grams of fentanyl, seven guns, high-capacity magazines, several rounds of ammunition, an estimated $45,000 in US currency, scales and packaging materials used in narcotics trafficking, and 10 vehicles that were used in the crimes charged. In addition, a food truck was seized.

During plea proceedings, Knight admitted to being part of Beckford's conspiracy to distribute narcotics, as well as selling cocaine to another individual.

"To disrupt high-level narcotics distribution networks, law enforcement must conduct intensive and dedicated investigations," Hoovler said. "These investigations are possible only through coordinated operations between law enforcement and prosecutors. My Office, time and again, has reaffirmed our commitment to keeping our streets safe from the scourge of drugs and the corresponding violence often found in the wake. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will utilize every resource available to seek out drug and gun dealers and bring them to justice."

The district attorney thanked the agencies involved in the investigation, as well as the following agencies who assisted in the enforcement action on May 21: the City of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of Woodbury Police Department, the Town of Montgomery Police Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson Police Department.