HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man caught with heroin in
January 2015 was sentenced today to two years and a month in federal prison,
announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Daniel Justin Watts, 32,
previously pled guilty to a single-count indictment charging him with
possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the
investigative efforts of the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force.
“A safe Huntington is a top priority for me and my office,”
said U.S. Attorney Stuart. “I can assure you that aggressive prosecution of
drug dealers and violent criminals is the cornerstone of our strategy to take
back Huntington from the opioid crisis. The federal prison population is down
17% and there’s plenty of room at the inn for drug thugs.”
On January 7, 2015, agents with the Huntington FBI Drug Task
Force arrested Watts in a parking lot at 1034 14th Street West in Huntington
after observing him distributing heroin in the area. Officers transported Watts
to the Huntington Police Department and, during a search, found heroin he had
concealed in his groin area. The heroin was packaged for distribution, and
Watts admitted that he intended to sell the drugs. As part of the plea
agreement, Watts further admitted that he distributed heroin in Huntington
during the months of December 2014 and January 2015.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and
Stephanie S. Taylor handled the case. United States District Judge Robert C.
Chambers imposed the sentence.
This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the
United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to
combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S.
Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies,
is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking,
eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate
painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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