News Release
June 17, 2010
Contact: SA Edward Marcinko
Number: 410-579-5033

Baltimore Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

JUN 17 -- (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. 

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