A federal grand jury has indicted Jeryel L. Winfield, also known as Derezz and Idriys, age 51, of McDonough, Georgia, and formerly of Binghamton, New York. The charges relate to a narcotics conspiracy that allegedly took place between 2019 and May 26, 2022. According to the indictment announced by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo in Buffalo, Winfield is accused of conspiring with Joseph S. Zaso and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and could result in up to life imprisonment if convicted.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani stated that the case is part of Operation Take Back America. This initiative brings together resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Its goals are “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” According to the statement: “Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Jamestown Police Department led by Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration under Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III for the New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office headed by Sheriff James Quattrone.
Officials emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation at this stage: “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.”
