Troop K I-87 stop in Newburgh nets arrest after K-9 finds cocaine

A state police K-9 alert during a traffic stop on northbound I-87 in the Town of Newburgh led troopers to seize more than two pounds of cocaine and arrest the vehicle’s sole occupant, according to New York State Police Troop K. The stop underscored the Thruway’s role as a major transit corridor and the active role of Troop K’s Community Stabilization Unit in policing high‑traffic routes through Orange County.

Troop K said the stop occurred at approximately 11:50 a.m. on Feb. 4 after officers observed multiple violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. The operator and sole occupant was identified as Katrina A. Haeger, 38, of Whitehall. K-9 Vinn conducted an exterior scan of the vehicle and gave a positive alert for narcotics, after which a search reportedly turned up more than two pounds of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle. A further search of Haeger yielded approximately two grams of fentanyl and 4.4 grams of heroin.

Haeger was arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, an A‑I felony; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (intent to sell), a class B felony; and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a class A misdemeanor. She was arraigned in the Village of Goshen Court and remanded to the Orange County Jail, Troop K reported.

Troop K identified Trooper Krystal P. Paolicelli as its public information officer and Major Daniel P. Smith as Troop K commander. The press release announcing the seizure and arrest was posted on Feb. 6 from Troop K headquarters in Salt Point, New York. Troop K noted K-9 Vinn’s role in the investigation; trooper K-9 teams are routinely used on the Thruway to help detect concealed narcotics.

Law enforcement activity in the Newburgh area that week also included a separate Troop F traffic stop in the City of Newburgh involving a different suspect, Thomas H. Cousar, 34, of Poughkeepsie, and about 59.7 grams of cocaine. That incident occurred at a different location and time and is not connected to the Troop K I‑87 stop, meaning residents should view the two actions as distinct law enforcement operations rather than a single coordinated arrest.

For local residents, the case is a reminder that state police patrols on the Thruway are focused on both traffic enforcement and interdiction of drugs moving through Orange County. The charges against Haeger carry serious penalties and will proceed through the county court system; laboratory confirmation of the seized narcotics and court docket updates from the Village of Goshen will provide additional details in the weeks ahead. Troop K said it remains available for further inquiries through its public information officer.