An Owensboro man was sentenced this week to 25 years in prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking charges. The case stems from the January 2021 drug bust that local law enforcement said at the time was the most significant in Owensboro’s history. Authorities seized 151 pounds of meth and 3.5 pounds of counterfeit pills with suspected deadly fentanyl, saying then that the group was responsible for more than 90 percent of the fentanyl being brought into the city.
Read our initial story about the drug seizure here, and more insight from OPD officials here.
According to court documents, Willie Watkins, 32, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
The announcement came Friday from U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Sheila Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Owensboro Police Department Chief Art Ealum.
According to the announcement, the following co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case.
- On November 10, 2023, Richard Cason, 32, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
- On February 16, 2023, Keith Watkins, 30, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 8 years and 4 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
- On December 13, 2023, Samuel White, 30, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, and distribution of methamphetamine.
- On October 24, 2022, William Harvey Duhart, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
- On August 10, 2022, Derrick Lamont Bullitt, 40, of Louisville, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture.
- On June 9, 2022, Jeremy Poiles, 41, of Owensboro, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the announcement, co-defendants Christopher McNary and Nache Moore have previously pled guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
The DEA Evansville Resident Office and the Owensboro Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting the case.
