Deontae David Bernard Watkins, 43, of Perry, Fla., has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession with intent to distribute multiple illegal drugs, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Watkins appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 2, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.
Watkins faces a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 10 years’, and up to life, imprisonment on the drug possession counts, and a consecutive five years’ imprisonment for carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. He also faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Perry Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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