U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that a federal grand jury has indicted two men in connection with a narcotics conspiracy. Ernest Brown, also known as Wayne Perry or Wayne Brown, aged 42 from Buffalo, NY, and James Jackson, also known as Bookah, aged 38 from Jamestown, NY, have been charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl. The charges carry severe penalties: Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment, while Jackson faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani stated that the indictment alleges that between 2018 and May 26, 2022, Brown and Jackson worked with Joseph S. Zaso and others to sell fentanyl in the Buffalo and Jamestown areas. Joseph Zaso has already been charged and convicted; he is currently awaiting sentencing.
Both defendants were arraigned before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Roemer and are being held in custody.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among various agencies. More information about OCDETF can be found on their website.
The investigation leading to this indictment was conducted by the Jamestown Police Department under Chief Timothy Jackson's direction, the Drug Enforcement Administration led by Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff James Quattrone's leadership.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.