(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. – A federal grand jury has indicted two men for their alleged roles in a narcotics conspiracy involving fentanyl distribution in the Buffalo and Jamestown areas, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced.
Ernest Brown, also known as Wayne Perry and Wayne Brown, 42, of Buffalo, and James Jackson, also known as Bookah, 38, of Jamestown, face charges related to drug trafficking. If convicted, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, while Jackson faces a minimum of 10 years, with both potentially facing life sentences.
According to prosecutors, between 2018 and May 26, 2022, Brown and Jackson conspired with others, including Joseph S. Zaso, to distribute fentanyl. Zaso has already been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Both defendants were arraigned before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Roemer and ordered to remain in custody.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which targets high-level criminal organizations through coordinated, multi-agency efforts. Authorities involved in the investigation include the Jamestown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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