U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Joseph Thayer, 48, from Jamestown, NY, on charges of narcotics conspiracy. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could lead to a life sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani are managing the case. They reported that between 2018 and May 26, 2022, Thayer conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Co-defendants include Andres Pizzaro Campos, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Zaso has already been charged and convicted; he is awaiting sentencing.
Thayer was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and remains detained.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and safeguarding communities from violent crime perpetrators. This operation coordinates efforts from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The indictment results from an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department led by Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration under Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office headed by Sheriff James Quattrone.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation; Thayer is presumed innocent until proven guilty.