U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Jason Talley, a 46-year-old resident of Buffalo, NY, on charges of narcotics conspiracy. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and could lead to life imprisonment.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani are overseeing the case. They reported that the indictment alleges Talley's involvement in a drug distribution network from 2018 until May 26, 2022. He is accused of conspiring with Joseph S. Zaso and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Other co-defendants include Andres Pizzaro Campos, Joseph Thayer, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Joseph Zaso has already been charged and convicted; he is currently awaiting sentencing.
Talley was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and remains detained.
This indictment is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation seeks to protect communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts involving the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation leading to Talley's indictment involved multiple law enforcement agencies: 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 directed by Sheriff James Quattrone.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation; Jason Talley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
