FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
June 21, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BALTIMORE HEROIN DEALER SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Renault Watkins, age 47, of Baltimore, today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Judge Quarles enhanced Watkins’ sentence upon finding that he is a career offender based on two previous narcotics convictions.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.
According to Watkins’ guilty plea, on August 26, 2009, Baltimore City Police detectives had a search warrant for Watkins and stopped him, after observing Watkins enter and leave a residence in the 3300 block of Hayward Avenue. Watkins’ vehicle had been seen outside the residence on several prior occasions. Officers searched Watkins and recovered a total of an ounce of heroin from Watkins’ pants pocket and shoe. A search of his vehicle recovered a black bag with over three ounces of heroin and $4,312 in cash. A search of the residence on Hayward Avenue recovered a garbage bag of used drug packaging material, drug paraphernalia, 17 plastic bags containing a total of approximately 3.5 pounds of heroin, and $36,510 in cash.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended Special Assistant United States Attorney Christine Celeste, a cross-designated Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert R. Harding, who prosecuted the case.