Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Illinois
Friday, May 16, 2014
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James Nathaniel Watts, age 30, of Cairo, Ill., was charged by criminal complaint with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The affidavit in support of the complaint indicates that Watts was arrested on May 15, 2014, on a railroad train trestle in Cairo, Illinois, after a high speed chase with law enforcement. Watts was driving a vehicle which belonged to an employee of the First National Bank, which had been robbed earlier in the day. During the robbery, two employees were killed and one was critically wounded. Those offenses remain under investigation.
The offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of $250,000, or both, and up to 3 years supervised release.
Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin for prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
