DELAWARE - Officials with the Delaware Department of Justice say a Dover man has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for drug dealing and possessing a gun after multiple prior felony convictions. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall imposed the sentence.
According to court documents, 24-year-old Deontray Watson of Dover, was released from state prison on a prior gun conviction in late February 2024. Less than a month later, officials say law enforcement learned that Watson was once again armed and now dealing drugs. He and an associate were arrested at a gas station. Police found fentanyl, crack cocaine, and a loaded, stolen handgun inside their car.
Officials say the handgun was found beneath the passenger seat on top of Watson's wallet. He ultimately pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug offenses following this incident. This is Watson's fifth gun conviction in the past ten years.
Speaking about the case, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware Benjamin L. Wallace said, "Deontray Watson has been an armed danger to Delaware since he was a teenager. That is why, after I became the U.S. Attorney for our District, I continued personally handling this case. The just sentence imposed by Judge Hall today is more than double the longest sentence Deontray Watson has previously served. It is my sincere hope that this is the punishment that finally gets through to Watson. I extend my thanks to our law enforcement partners at the ATF, the Dover Police Department, and Delaware Probation and Parole, all of whom did terrific work investigating this case."
