Sa’d Watkins, Fentanyl Supplier, Ohio 2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a major blow to the opioid epidemic in central Ohio, Sa’d Watkins, a 44-year-old Columbus resident, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role as a multi-kilogram fentanyl and fentanyl analogue supplier.

On [September 2021 to July 2024], Watkins conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, according to court documents.

During this period, Watkins had others lease stash houses for him, where he processed and distributed narcotics. He also supplied drugs to co-conspirators who sold out of various other residences throughout Columbus for him.

Law enforcement discovered more than 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, 10 firearms, ammunition, extended magazines, a Tyvek suit, and other drug packaging materials at one of Watkins’s stash houses. Additionally, officers seized more than $120,000 in cash from Watkins.

Watkins’s prior criminal history spans decades, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated robbery, and firearms and drug crimes.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison imposed the sentence of 180 months in prison on Watkins. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Jennifer M. Rausch represented the United States in this case.

The defendant was a target of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide federal initiative that aims to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.