High-Profile Community Member Accused Of Selling Drugs In Hudson Valley

A Hudson Valley man in the public eye is accused of selling drugs in a place you won't believe.

The Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force announced an arrest was made following an investigation.

Dutchess County Taxi Driver Arrested

Police started an investigation following allegations that 52-year-old Howard J. Nugent, a taxi driver in Dutchess County, was selling drugs out of his home on Van Wagner Road and while driving his taxi.

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Undercover agents purchased cocaine from Nugent on several occasions in several areas within the Town of Poughkeepsie and other places in the county, police say.

Taxi Driver Flees Police

A search warrant was obtained by investigators after the alleged multiple drug purchases.

On Tuesday, members of the Dutchess County SWAT team, New York State Police, and the Town of Poughkeepsie Police searched for Nugent near his home.

Once they spotted him, he's accused of fleeing a marked Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services and striking an unmarked Sheriff’s Office vehicle before leaving the roadway and striking a light pole.

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According to police, the raid of his home and taxi led to the seizure of large quantities of cocaine packaged for sale.

Charges

Nugent was charged with:

• 2 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree, intent to sell, a class B Felony.
• 1 Count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Degree, a class B Felony.

Officials say that not many other charges are pending.

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"If anyone has information regarding this case or about any other individuals selling drugs in Dutchess County, you are urged to contact the Drug Task Force confidential tip line at 845-463-6040 or by emailing your tips to Drugtaskforcetips@gmail.com," officials said in a press release.

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