WASHINGTON – Kenneth Watts, a 59-year-old resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), as announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. This conviction is part of a broader investigation into a narcotics trafficking network that has raised concerns about public safety in the D.C. metropolitan area.
Watts was found guilty on May 20, 2025, in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. Along with the prison term, Judge Jia M. Cobb mandated that Watts serve an additional five years of supervised release following his incarceration. The investigation revealed that the network, which operated across the D.C. area, was responsible for distributing significant quantities of not only PCP but also cocaine and fentanyl, often using firearms to protect their operations.
Key to Watts’s conviction was a coordinated effort by law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and local authorities. The investigation, lasting two years, culminated in a significant bust on September 23, 2020, when Prince George’s County police intercepted a package at a FedEx facility. This package, which contained six kilograms of liquid PCP, was addressed to a fictitious name in Temple Hills, Maryland. Upon delivery, officers observed Watts retrieving the package and subsequently arrested him, recovering the PCP concealed in a suitcase in the bed of his truck.
The investigation also implicated co-defendant James Kinard, 48, of Temple Hills, who was found guilty alongside Watts and faces pending sentencing. Furthermore, three additional associates have pleaded guilty to various charges related to the conspiracy, highlighting the extensive network involved in this drug distribution scheme.
As D.C. residents continue to grapple with issues surrounding drug trafficking and public safety, the efforts of federal and local law enforcement to dismantle such networks reflect a commitment to addressing these pressing concerns. The case underscores the ongoing challenges posed by narcotics distribution in the metropolitan area, with implications for neighborhoods across D.C. and its surrounding communities.
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