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Jamestown Man Enters Guilty Plea In Drug Distribution, Harm

A Jamestown man has pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances causing serious bodily injury. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Tuesday that David Sekerak Ledesma, 52, entered the admission before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. The plea carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $1 million. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Nicholas A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that between 2020 and 2023, Ledesma conspired with others to sell narcotics for profit, utilizing social media to ...

City Man Charged In Stabbing At Downtown Business

A city man has been charged in a Saturday afternoon stabbing. James Morris, 43, was charged with first-degree assault, tampering with physical evidence, two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing. At approximately 12:34 p.m., officers from the ...

Pine Valley Teacher, Coach Facing Sex Abuse Charge With Youth

SOUTH DAYTON -- A Pine Valley Central School teacher has been charged with allegedly engaging in sexual contact with a juvenile. On Dec. 3, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from the Pine Valley School District regarding a teacher employed at their school. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division conducted an investigation into allegations against Robert Slisz, 33, of Hamburg. The investigation determined Slisz had allegedly engaged in sexual contact with the victim. He was charged with third-degree sexual abuse, forcible touching ...

Man Charged In Attempted Arson In Stockton

STOCKTON --- A town resident is facing second-degree attempted arson charges. At around 9:24 a.m. Thursday, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police at Fredonia responded to an address on Cassadaga Stockton Road for a report of an altercation. An investigation found that Keith J. Carlson, 38, of Stockton did intentionally set various items inside of the residence on fire while in a dispute with another subject in the residence. Carlson was charged and transported to the Chautauqua County Jail to be arraigned in the Centralized Arraignment Program.

Former City Man Tied To Fentanyl Distribution Charges

A former Jamestown resident is facing charges related to the distribution of fentanyl. On Tuesday, Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Charles Washington, 41, now living in North Carolina, with narcotics conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated between July 2016, and March 2021, Washington conspired with Joseph S. Zaso, and others, to sell heroin, ...

Fredonia Residents Charged In 7-Eleven Robbery

Two Fredonia residents have been charged after a robbery at the East Second Street 7-Eleven on Sunday. Johnee C. Thompson, 36, and Kaelyn A. Hayward, 22, both of Fredonia, were charged with second-degree robbery, third-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree conspiracy after officers responded to a reported robbery in progress at 9 a.m. Sunday. According to a police report, officers responding to the scene were told a person passed a note demanding money and then ran away after receiving a quantity of money. Police then found a second person fled in a vehicle and picked up the person ...