A resident of Arnold, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking fentanyl and heroin. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Kevin Watson, 36, entered his plea before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy. He admitted to possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin.
According to information presented in court, on April 26, 2019, Watson was stopped by the Pennsylvania State Police for traffic violations while a young child was present in the back seat of his vehicle. When asked to exit the car, Watson sped away from the stop and led officers on a high-speed chase that reached speeds up to 115 mph. He eventually crashed and fled on foot, leaving the child alone in the vehicle. The child was not seriously injured. Police later obtained a search warrant for the car and found over $100,000 worth of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin in the trunk. At the time of this incident, Watson had an extensive criminal history including three previous drug trafficking convictions and was on parole.
Judge Hardy set sentencing for January 8, 2026. The law allows for a sentence ranging from at least ten years up to life in prison and a fine as high as $10 million. The actual sentence will be determined based on federal Sentencing Guidelines considering both the seriousness of the offense and Watson's prior criminal record. Until sentencing, Watson remains in custody with the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly M. Locher and Barbara K. Doolittle are prosecuting the case.
The investigation leading to this prosecution was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates efforts among law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence across neighborhoods nationwide. In May 2021, a new strategy was launched by the Department of Justice aimed at strengthening PSN through principles such as building trust within communities, supporting local organizations focused on violence prevention, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
