Lexington Duo Admits to Near-Fatal Fentanyl Flood

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington couple is facing decades behind bars after admitting to flooding the streets with fentanyl, a dose of which nearly killed a local resident. Sierra Monique Green, 24, and Martinus Shamar Watts, 31, both pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to charges stemming from a large-scale fentanyl operation.

Court records detail a conspiracy spanning from March 2019 to September 2019, where Watts, Green, and a third accomplice, Karmon Jamel Watts, 26, conspired to distribute over 40 grams of the deadly opioid. The operation took a terrifying turn on March 20, 2019, when Watts and Green delivered approximately one-half gram of fentanyl to a victim. That victim quickly lost consciousness after ingesting a portion of the substance. First responders found the individual unresponsive, and required multiple doses of Narcan to revive them. The victim survived, but only after receiving extensive medical treatment.

The operation wasn’t just about pushing poison; it was about profit. On June 20, 2019, law enforcement raided the residence shared by Watts and Green, uncovering a staggering $67,000 in U.S. currency. Alongside the cash, officers seized two loaded firearms and a variety of other controlled substances. Both Watts and Green confessed in their plea agreements that the seized money was directly linked to their illegal drug trafficking activities.

The wheels of justice have been turning for some time. Martinus Watts entered his guilty plea back in August 2020, while Green followed suit yesterday. Karmon Jamel Watts previously pleaded guilty in May 2020. The investigation was a joint effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Louisville Field Division and the Lexington Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Todd Bradbury leading the prosecution.

Sentencing dates are now set. Martinus Shamar Watts is scheduled to appear before Judge Caldwell on November 19, 2020, and Sierra Monique Green on November 30, 2020. Both face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, and an additional mandatory minimum of 5 years for the fentanyl conspiracy charge. Karmon Watts faces a minimum of 5 years for his role in the conspiracy. However, the final sentence will be determined by the court, taking into account federal sentencing guidelines and statutes.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a nationwide initiative aimed at choking off the supply of these lethal synthetic opioids in areas hit hardest by the crisis. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Robert M. Duncan, Jr., and DEA Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Todd Scott, along with Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers, jointly announced the guilty pleas, signaling a continued commitment to tackling the opioid epidemic head-on.

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