Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Crimes

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jabree Jones a.k.a. “Breezy,” age 33, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to drug trafficking and firearms crimes, including a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and to possess firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

In pleading guilty, Jones admitted to his participation in a drug conspiracy from January to May 2023, that included eleven instances of drug distribution between January and May 2023, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine on May 23, 2023, when the ATF and DEA searched a property on Western Avenue in Albany where they found one of Jones’ coconspirators, Brandon Bartley, with 34 firearms, including an illegal machinegun, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine. That same day, the DEA and ATF also searched a property in Halfmoon, New York, where they found another one of Jones’ coconspirators, Anthony Luizzi, along with about 11 kilograms of fentanyl pills along with five firearms, including a defaced shotgun.

Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant on May 23, 2023, at Zaremski’s apartment in Clifton Park, New York, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers.

Acting United States Attorney John Sarcone stated, “Mr. Jones and his coconspirators were engaged in a significant drug and firearms trafficking conspiracy in 2023 that had a huge impact on the Capital Region. Mr. Jones trafficked illegal firearms, including machineguns, as well as distributed deadly substances like methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. His guilty plea is the result of a multi-agency partnership that brought down one of the biggest drug and gun dealers this region has seen in recent years.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated, “DEA New York continues work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in targeting those individuals who are responsible for the trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and firearms in our communities. As we have seen, many of these individuals use violence to conduct their illicit drug and gun trafficking business which often has senseless and deadly consequences.  The DEA remains committed to protecting our communities and saving lives.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated, “This defendant’s guilty plea underscores the devastating impact that firearms trafficking, and drug distribution have on our communities. By conspiring to move dozens of firearms and significant quantities of drugs, he created conditions that fuel addiction, death and violence.  ATF NY remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt these dangerous networks, seize illegal firearms before they reach the streets, and protect the safety of the public.”

Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Jones faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life, to begin after he finishes his prison term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The following defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation:

• Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of the guns found at the Western Avenue property and Halfmoon property. Luizzi was sentenced to 210 months in prison and a $10,000 fine on October 1, 2024.
• Brandon Bartley also pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 180 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
• Devon Newsome pled guilty to transferring 29 firearms to Jones that were ultimately found at the Western Avenue property and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.

The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County, Georgia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.