Olean Man Indicted on Federal Drug Conspiracy Charge

A federal grand jury has indicted an Olean man on a narcotics conspiracy charge, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Thursday.

The indictment charges Theodore E. Coffie, 54, with participating in a drug distribution operation in the Olean area. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a potential maximum of life.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, Coffie allegedly conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others between July 2016 and March 2021 to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana. Zaso has already been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

Coffie appeared in federal court Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and remains in custody pending a detention hearing.

The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, a federal initiative aimed at dismantling major criminal drug organizations through coordinated law enforcement efforts. The investigation involved the Jamestown Police Department, led by Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division, headed by Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino.

Authorities emphasize that an indictment is merely an allegation, and Coffie is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.