Joseph Thompson, Fentanyl Conspiracy, New York 2015

A Lockport man has been sentenced to 72 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl conspiracy.

Joseph Thompson, 61, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl.

According to court documents, between June 2013 and September 2015, Thompson conspired with others to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

On February 13, 2015, the Niagara County Drug Task Force conducted a controlled buy at Thompson’s residence on Elmwood Avenue. The drug sold by the defendant tested positive for fentanyl. On March 4, 2015, the task force conducted a second controlled buy at Thompson’s residence. The drug sold by the defendant during the second buy tested positive for heroin.

On March 10, 2015, a New York State search warrant was executed at Thompson’s residence. Law enforcement officers recovered approximately 88 grams of fentanyl, 60 grams of heroin, and 17 grams of crack cocaine. A digital scale, baggies, and $1,955.00 in cash were also seized.

During the course of the conspiracy, the defendant distributed various types of drugs to as many as 10 customers daily.

Thompson was one of 17 defendants indicted in August of 2016 for his role in a drug trafficking organization that utilized contacts and sources of supply from Mexico, California, and elsewhere. The organization trafficked thousands of kilograms of illegal narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine throughout the United States, including Lockport, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo.

Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office.

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