Bryan Ferrer-Vazquez, 27, of Jamestown, New York, is headed to federal prison for 78 months after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin as part of a coordinated drug trafficking ring. U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced the sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, marking a significant blow to an operation that flooded Western New York with heroin and cocaine.
Ferrer-Vazquez served as a key distributor for a drug trafficking organization led by Sigfredo Martinez, beginning in early 2016. Acting as the operator of the “day shift,” Ferrer-Vazquez received hundreds of bundles of heroin from Martinez every few days, distributing them to users and lower-level dealers across the region. He routinely turned over cash proceeds to Martinez while pocketing payment for his role in the scheme.
DEA investigators intercepted three controlled buys of heroin and cocaine directly from Ferrer-Vazquez before moving in. On April 6, 2017, agents arrested him at his residence on Buffalo Street in Jamestown. A federal search warrant executed at the home uncovered a stash of criminal evidence: 19 cellphones, suspected cocaine hidden in lunchboxes in the basement rafters, a quantity of suspected heroin, $2,994 in cash, three ledger notebooks, and a digital scale.
Even more alarming, law enforcement discovered a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun wrapped in rags and sealed inside a plastic shopping bag, stashed in a locked cabinet in a detached garage. The weapon, illegal in the hands of a convicted felon, added a dangerous edge to the operation and could have triggered additional charges.
Two co-defendants have already been taken down. Alex Mercado, who ran the “night shift” for the same ring, was sentenced to 120 months in prison. Ringleader Sigfredo Martinez received a 175-month sentence. The dismantling of the trio’s operation was hailed as a major victory by federal and local agencies.
The investigation was a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan; the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department; the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force; the Jamestown Police Department; the Town of Ellicott Police Department; the New York State Police; and the Dunkirk Police Department. Authorities say the collaboration was essential in unraveling the trafficking network.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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