Kevin Watson, Fentanyl and Heroin Possession, Pennsylvania 2021

PITTSBURGH, PA – In a shocking turn of events, a federal jury of nine women and three men found Kevin Watson guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin.

"The evidence presented over four days of trial proved that on or about April 26, 2019, Watson possessed with intent to distribute approximately 14,980 servings of heroin and fentanyl contained in bags stamped with ‘Blue Magic,’" said Assistant United States Attorney Brian Czarnecki, who prosecuted the case.

The jury’s verdict was delivered on Friday, November 12, 2021, after deliberating for more than three hours.

Kevin Watson, aged 32, formerly of Arnold, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Donetta Ambrose in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

According to the prosecution, the evidence showed that Watson had five of the gallon-sized bags containing the drugs in a box surrounded by wrapping paper in the trunk of his car. The other gallon-sized bag was in a grocery bag, also in the trunk of his car.

The Pennsylvania State Police found the drugs during a search of Watson’s car on April 29, 2019, which was impounded at the Police Barracks in Kittanning following a traffic stop on April 26, 2019. The traffic stop occurred on Route 28 northbound. Watson was originally pulled over for overly tinted windows. Troopers noticed a four-year-old child in the back seat, and what started as a routine traffic stop turned into a high-speed pursuit after Watson fled the scene.

Expert witnesses at trial testified that the total weight of the heroin/fentanyl possessed by Watson was approximately 480 grams and the drugs had a street value in 2019 of around $100,000.

Judge Ambrose will issue an order scheduling the date and time for sentencing. The law provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years imprisonment to a maximum of life and a fine not to exceed $10,000,000. The sentence may be increased if Watson has prior drug trafficking convictions.

The Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Watson.

Defendant: Kevin Watson

Criminal Charges: Possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin

City and State: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Exact Date: April 26, 2019 (crime date) and November 12, 2021 (sentencing)

Sentence or Outcome: Currently awaiting sentencing

Dollar Amounts: $100,000 (street value of the drugs)

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