Up to 18 years in prison for drug trafficker

A former fire chief who was a member of a self-proclaimed “outlaw motorcycle club” that trafficked narcotics has been sentenced to up to 18 years in state prison, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.

Robert Dunham, 47, of Middletown, was sentenced Tuesday by Orange County Judge Craig Brown in the case dubbed “Operation Bread, White and Blues.” Hoovler said Dunham was sentenced to nine years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for the felony of criminal sale of a controlled substance, and to six to 18 years in prison for the felony of conspiracy. The sentences will run concurrently.

Indictments arising from “Operation Bread, White and Blues” outlined two separate conspiracies: one involving members and associates of motorcycle clubs trafficking cocaine, the other involving the sale of narcotic pills that were represented to contain oxycodone but actually contained fentanyl.

Dunham, who was chief of the Mechanicstown Fire Department in the town of Wallkill, was alleged to have been a member of both conspiracies.

The name of the operation referred to the defendants’ use of the term “bread” to mean money they obtained from drug sales, “white” to represent the cocaine that was sold, and “blues” to represent blue pills that were being trafficked.

Most of the defendants were arrested in a series of raids and warrant executions on Feb. 5, 2019.

Dunham pleaded guilty on April 25, 2019, admitting he sold over 2 ounces of cocaine on Oct. 4, 2018.

The “Operation Bread, White and Blues” arrests resulted in the recovery of more than $500,000 in cash, 25 handguns, one assault rifle, multiple rifles, 10 vehicles, two motorcycles, over 2.5 pounds of cocaine and 1,300 Fentanyl pills, authorities said.