Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrest of a Dutchess County man on drug-related felony charges stemming from his alleged possession and sale of cocaine to an undercover deputy sheriff.

In January of this year, the Sheriff's Narcotics Enforcement Unit received information that an individual was selling street-level amounts of cocaine at various parking lots in the Town of Philipstown.

The investigation, conducted by undercover deputies, enabled officers to infiltrate the operation, identify the suspect and purchase cocaine from him. The suspect, identified as 31 year-old James Caballero of 80 Smith Street, Poughkeepsie, New York, was arrested on June 21st as he was being released from the Dutchess County jail.

He was transported back to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office in Carmel where he was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. All four charges are class "B" felony crimes. Mr. Caballero was arraigned before Kent Town Justice Kevin Douchkoff on behalf of the Town of Philipstown Justice Court and released without bail pending a future court appearance.

Upon a conviction of any count of the charges he's facing, Mr. Caballero may be sentenced by a court for a jail term from one to nine years in a New York State correctional facility.