United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Division, announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Bradley D. Knapp, 43, of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, using and maintaining a drug-involved premises, and distribution of controlled substances causing serious bodily injury. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between January 2019, and June 2022, Knapp conspired with others to sell heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. On August 13, 2020, Knapp sold a controlled substance that caused serious bodily injury to an individual identified as M.H. During the conspiracy, Knapp used a 9th Street residence for his drug trafficking activities.

The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is detained.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the DEA Buffalo District Office, New York Division.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.