Ryan Valentine

The new year has already brought cleaner streets, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and the Dunkirk Police Department.

Ryan R. Valentine, 30, of Dunkirk was taken into custody Thursday by Dunkirk’s Police Patrol Division at about 6 p.m.

An outstanding arrest warrant had been issued by Dunkirk City Court Judge Walter Drag, charging Valentine with  third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. The warrant had been issued based on information from an investigation conducted by the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force into cocaine sales by Valentine.

Allegedly, he had sold cocaine to undercover agents of the task force on multiple occasions.

As a result of the arrest, Valentine was taken to Dunkirk City Jail, where he will be held until his arraignment before Judge Drag. At that point, his fate will be in the hands of the court.

This arrest was part of an ongoing investigation into cocaine sales in the city of Dunkirk.

Authorities continue to ask community members to call when they observe suspicious or narcotics-related activity in their neighborhoods, at either 800-344-8702 or 363-0313.