Louisiana Man Sentenced to More than 5 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Louisiana –  On July 6, 2022, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that James Watts, age 50, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 30, 2022 to 70 months (5 years, 10 months) imprisonment, 4 years supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, by U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon, after pleading guilty to a one-count superseding bill of information charging him with possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office deputies initiated a traffic stop on Watts on March 8, 2021, in Independence, Louisiana, after receiving a report that Watts had assaulted a female victim. Deputies stopped Watts after noticing drug paraphernalia in the rear passenger seat. Following a search of the vehicle, 397 grams of methamphetamine were discovered.

During a subsequent interview with US Drug Enforcement Administration agents, Watts admitted that the methamphetamine discovered during the vehicle search was his. He also admitted to selling one pound of methamphetamine between March 6th and March 8th, 2021, and obtaining two pounds of methamphetamine from his source of supply every two weeks.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. J. Benjamin Myers, Assistant United States Attorney, handled the prosecution.