Solomon Eli Watters, 28, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy in Ohio County.
Watters pled guilty in January 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In February 2022, Watters was stopped by the Wheeling Police Department. A search of the Audi A7 that he was driving resulted in the seizure of $3,556 in cash and a Walther .380 caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. Officers then executed a search warrant at Watters’ Wheeling residence, and discovered two more pistols, ammunition, digital scales, and cocaine base.
Additional search warrants were obtained for two Washington, Pennsylvania, storage units. Those searches yielded 1.26 kilograms of fentanyl and an additional $208,860 in cash.
“The profits from fentanyl trafficking are spectacular and that’s why people like Mr. Watters engage in it,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “We will continue to pursue long prison sentences in these cases and the forfeiture of the cash they generate.”
In addition to the firearms and ammunition, $212,416 in United States currency and the Audi A7 will be forfeited.
Watters has a criminal history that includes drug possession, firearms violations, and aggravated assault.
Watters will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The Wheeling Police Department; the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
