A federal grand jury has indicted Charles Washington, 41, formerly of Jamestown, New York and now residing in North Carolina, on charges of narcotics conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. If convicted, Washington faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive up to life imprisonment.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, between July 2016 and March 2021, Washington allegedly conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the Olean area. Zaso has already been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Washington was arraigned in the Western District of North Carolina and is currently being held pending a detention hearing in the Western District of New York.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice that focuses on combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and addressing violent crime through coordinated efforts from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation involved the Jamestown Police Department under Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration led by Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino of the New York Field Division.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo stated: “The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
