BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross has announced that Richard Pearson, 47, of Jamestown, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute acetyl fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and aiding and abetting. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, late in the evening on June 25, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Newland Avenue in Jamestown, during which Pearson was present. During the search, they seized suboxone strips, $200 in cash, a digital scale, quantities of acetyl fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm and ammunition. Pearson was previously convicted of three felony crimes and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.