Daniel Justin Watts, 32, of Huntington, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to two years and one month for possession with intent to distribute heroin. The January 2015 arrest marked the end of a brief but brazen run dealing drugs in one of the hardest-hit opioid zones in the country.
On January 7, 2015, agents from the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force caught Watts in the act, observing him distribute heroin in a parking lot at 1034 14th Street West. He was arrested on the spot, taken to the Huntington Police Department, and during a search, officers found heroin hidden in his groin area. The drugs were packaged for street sale, and Watts admitted he intended to sell them.
Watts previously pled guilty to a single-count federal indictment and admitted during plea proceedings that he trafficked heroin in Huntington throughout December 2014 and January 2015. His admissions painted a picture of consistent, small-scale distribution feeding into the city’s broader opioid epidemic.
United States Attorney Mike Stuart, who oversaw the prosecution, made no apologies for the hard-line approach. “A safe Huntington is a top priority for me and my office,” Stuart said. “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.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor and handed down by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers, who imposed the 25-month sentence. The prosecution falls under the Southern District of West Virginia’s ongoing crackdown on illegal drug trafficking, particularly the flood of heroin and prescription opioids devastating communities.
This effort, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and supported by federal, state, and local agencies, aims to dismantle open-air drug markets and shut down trafficking pipelines. Watts’ conviction is one small win in a war that’s far from over.
Related Federal Cases
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- Huntington Heroin Dealer Gerald Harris Pleads Guilty · West Virginia
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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