(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Jamestown woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to her role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that operated in Chautauqua County over several years, federal prosecutors announced.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said Susan Walker, 31, of Jamestown, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years, and a possible fine of up to $5 million.
According to prosecutors, between 2020 and 2023, Walker conspired with others to sell narcotics for profit. Authorities said Walker used social media platforms to facilitate drug trafficking activities and worked alongside co-defendant David Sekerak Ledesma.
Investigators determined that Walker and Ledesma maintained two residences on Lafayette Street in Jamestown that were used to support their drug distribution operation. The investigation involved multiple controlled purchases of narcotics and the execution of two search warrants at the Lafayette Street residences.
During those searches, law enforcement seized cash believed to be drug proceeds, drug paraphernalia, and cellular phones, officials said.
Federal authorities also noted that in July 2020, Ledesma sold drugs to an individual identified in court records as A.R., who later overdosed and suffered serious bodily injury. Ledesma was previously convicted in the case and is awaiting sentencing.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti.
Officials said the investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office. The DEA investigation was led by Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino III of the New York Field Division, with assistance from the Jamestown Police Department under Chief Timothy Jackson and the Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff James Quattrone.
Prosecutors said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that focuses on dismantling drug trafficking organizations, eliminating transnational criminal organizations, and reducing violent crime through coordinated federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts.
Sentencing for Walker is scheduled for June 10, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.
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