In what police are calling one of the largest takedowns of a drug-trafficking organization in local history, a ring based in Ulster County flooded the streets with illegal narcotics disguised as pharmaceuticals in an operation that stretched from Kingston to as far as Saratoga County.

On Wednesday, state Attorney General Letitia James joined local law enforcement and elected officials for a press conference at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center to announce the arrests.

“Think of what you see here,” said Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, standing before two tables piled high with guns, illegal high-capacity magazines, bricks of cocaine and thousands of pills. “Think of the lives we have saved by collaborating, working together to get these drugs and these weapons … off the streets.”

Officials say the drugs and guns on display are just a fraction of what was recovered during an investigation that began in the spring of 2021 when the sheriff’s Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT) first uncovered the drug-trafficking organization. All told, the operation dubbed “GTL” for guns, [drug] trafficking and [money] laundering pulled in 11 kilos of cocaine with a street value of $1.2 million, 15,000 methamphetamine pills and 750 heroin pills. The operation also led to the seizure of 39 firearms including four military-style semiautomatic rifles, 40 high-capacity magazines and $120,000 in cash.

Recognizing that scope of the drug ring could put a strain on local resources already stretched thin by a surging opioid epidemic and a spike in violent crime, Figueroa and Ulster County District Attorney Dave Clegg reached out to the Attorney General’s Office for assistance. That resulted in a joint effort that included members of the AG’s Organized Crime Task Force, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office’s Drug Task Force, the State Police Special Investigations Unit and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

“It was a seamless teamwork that I haven’t seen in over 30 years in law enforcement,” said Figueroa, acknowledging about two dozen police officers and investigators present at the press conference.

According to officials, evidence uncovered by wiretaps on cell phones, undercover surveillance and a review of phone records and police databases revealed New Paltz resident Christopher Pulichene, 39, at the center of a network that distributed pills and cocaine in Ulster, Dutchess and Saratoga counties. Pulichene was also identified as the owner of most of the seized firearms, as well as a full suit of police-grade body armor.

The pills allegedly came from Kingston resident Alton Countryman, 35, who, supported by his wife Thekla Countryman, 35, and associate Joshua Guldy of Kingston, 21, manufactured heroin pills disguised to look like pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone. The counterfeit pills, officials said, were the same size and color and imprinted with the same markings as the real thing. Police say Pulichene also used a West Coast connection to buy meth pills disguised as the common ADHD treatment Adderall.

Pulichene, police allege, relied on a network of dealers to distribute the pills. Those mid-level dealers included Thomas Colon, 60, of Saugerties; Zachary Vanvlack, 34, of Wappingers Falls; Devyn Wolny, 24, of New Paltz; and Julia Eaton, 34, of Gansevoort, who distributed the pills in Saratoga County. In a second trafficking scheme, cops say Pulichene obtained cocaine from a source on the Gulf Coast which he then sold to Colon, Wolny and Eaton. Ralph Banks Jr., 50, and Nicholas Lasusa, 34, both of Saugerties, and Kevin Drake, 32, of Kingston were identified as lower-level dealers who bought product from Colon, Wolny and Eaton.

Details of the conspiracy are contained in a 275-count indictment charging the defendants with an array of drug felonies. The charges against Pulichene include a single count of Operating as a Major Trafficker, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Pulichene, Alton Countryman, Banks and Colon are also charged with firearms offenses. Officials said the majority of defendants are eligible for pre-trial detention based on either the seriousness of the charges or their prior criminal records. All the defendants except one, whom officials did not identify, were taken into custody this morning and were being processed as of Wednesday afternoon. Court proceedings will be handled by a team of prosecutors made up of state Assistant attorney generals and an Ulster County assistant district attorney.

James said the operation is part of a broader effort by her office to use partnership with local law enforcement agencies to tackle drug trafficking in New York’s suburban and rural counties, which have borne the brunt of a surging opioid epidemic.

“Any drug operation that floods our streets with heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine endangers New Yorkers,” said James. “But this operation was especially dangerous because they sold drugs that were intentionally disguised as prescription pills and were heavily armed with assault weapons and other firearms. Stopping gun violence and the opioid crisis requires action from every angle, and [we will] continue to stand together against anyone who would harm our community for their own gain.”