Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charge

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge.   

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Maylik Watson, 27, sold approximately 174.9 grams of  methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $5,600 on July 6, 2020 in Charleston.

Watson pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on January 6, 2022.

United States Attorney William S. Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). The U.S. Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police also assisted in the investigation. 

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is handling the prosecution.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00032.

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