Repeat gun offender sent to federal prison after drugs and stolen weapon found
Wilmington, DE — A Dover man with multiple prior gun convictions has been sentenced to federal prison after authorities found him armed with a stolen handgun and drugs less than a month after his release.
Deontray Watson, 24, was sentenced to 40 months in prison following his conviction on federal gun and drug charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware.
Court documents show Watson had been released from state prison in late February 2024 after a prior gun conviction. Within weeks, law enforcement received information that he was again armed and involved in drug activity.
Officers arrested Watson and an associate at a gas station, where a search of their vehicle uncovered fentanyl, crack cocaine, and a loaded stolen handgun. Investigators said the firearm was found beneath the passenger seat on top of Watson’s wallet.
Watson later pleaded guilty to the charges. Officials noted the conviction marks his fifth gun-related offense within the past ten years.
Authorities said the sentence, imposed by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall, is more than double the longest sentence Watson had previously served.
The case involved coordination between federal and local agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Dover Police, and Delaware Probation and Parole.
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Key Points
- Dover man sentenced to 40 months in federal prison
- Arrest came weeks after release from prior gun conviction
- Drugs and stolen handgun recovered during arrest