Bristol Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Overdose Death

A fatal drug deal in a quiet Connecticut town has ended with a prison sentence for ROBERT DEWAYNE WATKINS, also known as “D,” 42, of Bristol. WATKINS was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics that led directly to the overdose death of a 29-year-old man in March 2017.

The victim was found unresponsive inside a Collinsville restaurant on March 18, 2017. Canton Police arrived to perform CPR and called for emergency medical aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. What began as a routine overdose response quickly became a homicide-level investigation as evidence pointed to a deliberate, deadly transaction.

Investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Canton Police Department combed through digital and witness evidence, including records from the victim’s cellphone. It revealed that hours before his death, the victim had purchased a mix of heroin and crack cocaine from WATKINS. Lab analysis confirmed that the heroin contained fentanyl—a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine and a leading killer in the national overdose crisis.

WATKINS was arrested on July 25, 2017, and has remained in federal custody since. On November 8, he pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and cocaine base (“crack”). No plea deals shielded him from accountability—the charge alone carried the weight of a life lost.

Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall handed down the 42-month sentence as part of a broader statewide crackdown on dealers whose drugs result in death or serious injury. The initiative, led by U.S. Attorney John H. Durham for the District of Connecticut, treats lethal drug distribution as a violent crime, not just a narcotics violation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry prosecuted the case, emphasizing that every transaction has consequences. For WATKINS, that consequence is three and a half years behind bars. For the victim’s family, it’s a permanent void. The message from federal prosecutors is clear: sell poison, pay the price.

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