(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. – A federal grand jury has indicted Blake D. Smith, also known as “Sweets,” 49, of Jamestown, NY, on charges of narcotics conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced. If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, between February 2017 and February 2025, Smith conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Additionally, from February 2017 to May 2022, Smith allegedly possessed a firearm in connection with his drug trafficking activities. Zaso has already been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Smith was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and remains in custody pending a detention hearing.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime networks. The operation coordinates efforts from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The indictment stems from an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, led by Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino of the New York Field Division.
A federal indictment is a formal accusation, and Smith is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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