GOSHEN – Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler has released his 2025 annual report outlining the accomplishments of his office, which included the largest gun bust and Medicaid fraud arrest in county history.
“In 2025, the District Attorney’s Office fought on behalf of the citizens of Orange County to hold violent and dangerous offenders accountable,” said Hoovler. “Our demonstrated successes are indisputable, yet the work to make a safer Orange County is never over. We will continue to seek out and prosecute those responsible for gun and drug crimes because we see every day the terrible consequences of these cases on our families, friends, and neighbors.”
In July of last year, Hoovler’s office, along with several other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), announced Operation Powder Burn, the largest gun raid in county history. The sting targeted illegal firearms being brought into Orange County from other states.
Law enforcement made undercover purchases of more than 55 illegally possessed firearms and over 700 grams combined of cocaine and fentanyl, enough to kill approximately 190,000 residents. Arrests were made in the Town of Wallkill and the City of Newburgh, but the raid stretched to New York City, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, with 20 defendants charged.
Other District Attorney 2025 highlights included:
- The DA’s White Collar Task Force, in collaboration with the Orange Sheriff’s Office and State Comptroller’s Office, arrested a New Windsor couple for stealing more than $3.4 million in Medicaid funds. It is the largest Medicaid fraud scheme ever prosecuted by the Orange County DA’s Office.
- The success of the DA’s Hudson Valley Arson Task Force. Created in 2024, the unit facilitates the criminal prosecution of fire, arson, and explosives cases, in collaboration with the ATF and local law enforcement partners. In its first year, the Task Force’s work has resulted in a 300% increase in detected arsons.
- Violent crime in the County is down 13 percent since Hoovler took office in 2014, and property crime has decreased 37 percent. Meanwhile, crime rates have skyrocketed in other counties in the state, Hoovler said.
- In 2025, the DA’s Office obtained felony convictions in all seven trials in County Court, securing countless other felony convictions for homicides, violent crimes, child sex crimes, arsons, weapons offenses, animal abuse cases, and drug sale cases.
- The DA’s Office continued in 2025 to provide funding, equipment, and training for local fire and police departments, while advocating for higher pay for officers.
- The DA’s Office continues to partner with community stakeholders and veterans’ groups to address issues of concern specific to the County and its most vulnerable residents, including seniors.
“We will continue to work together with law enforcement to convey the message that criminals will receive no quarter in Orange County,” Hoovler said. “The District Attorney’s Office will employ the latest technology, the most qualified personnel, and a unified mission to pursue justice fairly and impartially.”