CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jawayne Watkins, 33, aka Weezy, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of distributing heroin and 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl resulting in the death an individual, as well as conspiracy and other distribution charges, was sentenced to serve 360 months by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Meghan E. Leydecker, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that Watkins sold heroin and 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, a rare and extremely dangerous fentanyl analogue. On at least two occasions, in July 2017, and on November 9, 2017, Homeland Security Investigations made controlled purchases from Watkins. The substances purchased from Watkins later tested positive for heroin and 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl. On November 10, 2017, an individual identified as A.C. died after taking a substance received from Watkins. Toxicology reports following the victim’s death indicated she had heroin and 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl in her system. During the investigation, law enforcement officers also made other seizures of the deadly substance from Watkins.
Watkins was on New York State parole and living in a halfway house at the time of his arrest in November 2017.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
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