Jamestown Man Facing 10 to Life in Prison in Federal Drug Conspiracy Case
The case is part of a broader federal initiative known as Operation Take Back America, which focuses on dismantling drug trafficking organizations and combatting violent crime.
A Jamestown man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to a narcotics conspiracy, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Joseph Thayer, 48, is accused of conspiring with others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area between 2018 and May 26, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum potential sentence of life.
Several co-defendants have also been charged in the case, including Andres Pizzaro Campos, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Another alleged co-conspirator, Joseph S. Zaso, has already been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Thayer was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and remains in custody.
The case is part of a broader federal initiative known as Operation Take Back America, which focuses on dismantling drug trafficking organizations and combatting violent crime. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Jamestown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation, and Thayer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.