Lawrence Watson, Heroin Distribution, West Virginia 2014

A Detroit heroin dealer pleaded guilty to a federal drug crime in West Virginia. Lawrence Watson, 21, admitted to selling heroin to a confidential informant on June 12, 2014, in Rand, West Virginia. The informant was working with law enforcement at the time of the sale.

Watson was arrested after the sale and officers executed a search warrant on the residence where the sale took place. During the search, officers found additional heroin and the money used in the controlled drug purchase from Watson's pocket.

The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is in charge of the prosecution. Watson entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

This case is part of an ongoing effort 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 office is working with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to aggressively pursue and shut down illegal pill trafficking, eliminate open air drug markets, and curb the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.

Watson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on April 25, 2016. The guilty plea and subsequent sentence will bring an end to Watson's involvement in the heroin trade and serve as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in such activities.

The West Virginia community is better off without individuals like Watson peddling heroin on its streets. The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia remains committed to its mission of protecting the community and upholding the law.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/detroit-drug-dealer-pleads-guilty-federal-heroin-crime