A major drug supplier, accused of delivering at least three kilograms of cocaine to Jamestown, was arrested Tuesday, according to Jamestown police and Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force members.
Police say Jose Martinez, 39, of 8 W. 11th St., Jamestown, was picked up Tuesday on a federal indictment warrant charging him with conspiring to distribute and distributing cocaine in the Jamestown area.
Martinez, also known as Julio Melendez and Noelle, was allegedly a major supplier of the Q Dog drug ring.
In March, Quentin ‘‘Q Dog’’ Leeper and 10 associates were arrested on federal drug charges. Police say Martinez supplied Leeper and his associates with three kilograms of cocaine — worth $300,000 on the street — during their investigation into Leeper’s activities.
‘‘This is a local individual who was dealing large volumes of drugs,’’ said Rex Rater, Jamestown police chief/public safety director. ‘‘Any time you measure the drugs someone supplies in kilograms and pounds, we are talking about a large impact on the community.’’
Rater went on to call Martinez a ‘‘key criminal element’’ in the area.
Lt. John Runkle, Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force director, said Martinez is one of the most significant drug suppliers he has dealt with during his 25-year career.
‘‘I don’t recall anybody more substantial in terms of cocaine trafficking or anybody who had such an impact on this area,’’ Runkle said.
In addition to the charges brought Tuesday, Martinez faces drug charges in Pennsylvania, where he is accused of bringing as much as eight to 10 kilograms of cocaine per month into the Erie area. The drugs in that case had an alleged street value of $3.75 million.
Martinez was arrested in Jamestown while out on bail from the Pennsylvania charges. He is being held without bail and faces a minimum 20-year prison sentence if convicted of the most recent charges.
Martinez is the 13th suspect arrested in connection with the Quentin Leeper drug network. Of those, eight are being held without bail, four have been released on bail and one, Quincy Turner, was shot and killed May 30.
Police say the investigation into Leeper’s drug ring is continuing, with more arrests expected.
