A federal jury has convicted a Wellsville, New York man on a wide range of charges connected to a fentanyl distribution operation that resulted in a death, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced this week.
Simon Gogolack, 42, who also goes by the name “Greek,” was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, narcotics conspiracy, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Jurors also convicted him on additional counts tied to kidnapping and witness intimidation, according to the announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
Prosecutors said the case centered on Gogolack’s role in distributing fentanyl in and around Wellsville, a small community in Allegany County. The distribution charges stemming from a death carry some of the most severe penalties available under federal narcotics law, reflecting the government’s escalating focus on holding dealers accountable when the drugs they sell prove fatal to users. The additional convictions for kidnapping and witness intimidation point to conduct prosecutors alleged was aimed at silencing or controlling individuals connected to the case, though the office’s announcement did not detail the specific circumstances of those incidents.
The conviction on multiple felony counts means Gogolack now faces sentencing before a federal judge, where the fentanyl-death charge alone can carry a mandatory minimum sentence under federal statute. Maintaining a drug-involved premises and narcotics conspiracy charges add further potential prison time, while the kidnapping and witness intimidation convictions could compound the eventual sentence. A sentencing date was not included in the announcement.
The case is part of a broader federal push across upstate New York and the country to prosecute fentanyl distribution as a public health and criminal justice priority. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid many times more potent than morphine, has been the leading driver of overdose deaths nationwide for several years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rural and small-town communities like Wellsville have not been immune to the crisis, with law enforcement officials in the Western District of New York repeatedly citing fentanyl trafficking as a top concern in recent years.
Federal prosecutors have increasingly relied on statutes that allow for enhanced penalties when drug distribution results in a fatal overdose, a legal strategy that has drawn both support and scrutiny. Advocates argue the approach deters dealers from selling adulterated or unusually potent product, while critics contend it sometimes ensnares low-level distributors or even friends and family members of overdose victims rather than large-scale traffickers. Cases involving additional violent conduct, such as kidnapping or witness tampering, are generally treated by prosecutors as evidence of a more organized or dangerous criminal enterprise, often resulting in longer sentences upon conviction.
The Western District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office has pursued a number of similar prosecutions in recent years, part of a coordinated effort with the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement agencies to target fentanyl supply chains reaching into rural counties. Officials have said such cases often involve cooperating witnesses, undercover purchases and forensic toxicology evidence linking a specific batch of drugs to an overdose death, all of which can complicate trials and extend investigations over many months before charges are brought.
No further details on sentencing timing were released. According to the announcement, first reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, additional information may be provided as the case moves toward a formal sentencing hearing.
