Buffalo man pleads guilty to multiple charges for role in drug conspiracy

BUFFALO — United States Attorney Trini E. Ross today announced that Joseph Zaso aka Joey Cracks aka Sosa, 40, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to commit narcotics, possession of a firearm in the course of drug trafficking and concealment of material facts. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, said that between September 2018 and May 2022, Zaso conspired with others to sell significant quantities of heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown, New York area. Zaso, the drug ringleader, was the source of supply for several Jamestown drug dealers and used a series of dealers and couriers to facilitate his operation. During the course of the conspiracy, Zaso possessed firearms to protect his supply of narcotics, from which he derived substantial income and resources. On May 26, 2022, search warrants were executed at his Buffalo residence, during which investigators seized drug paraphernalia.

During the conspiracy, Zaso was under the supervision of U.S. Probation in the Western District of New York, following a 2015 conviction in the Eastern District of Michigan. Zaso was required to submit monthly reports to U.S. Probation, which contained information about his employment. Zaso signed and submitted monthly reports falsely reporting his employment. Zaso also falsely concealed his income and the existence of bank accounts under his control in addition to lying about his employment. Zaso did not report his actual income because most of it came from drug trafficking.

This effort is part of an operation by the Drugs and Organized Crime Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program is available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The plea is the result of an investigation conducted by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, Division of New York, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2024, before Judge Vilado.