United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

COCAINE TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO MORE THAN
12 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE

Defendant Claimed to Be One of Hottest D.J.s in U.S.

MIDLAND, Texas — Kenneth Watkins, who was convicted at trial in August on drug charges, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert Junell in Midland, Texas, to more than 12 ½ years (151 months) in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Following that two-day trial held in San Angelo, Texas, a jury deliberated less than two hours before convicting Kenneth Watkins, 28, on both counts of an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Watkins’ co-defendant, Steven Alexander Aaron, 37, who pled guilty prior to trial to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced by Judge Junell to more than 15 years (188 months) in prison.

Watkins, who is also known as “DJ Blaze” and “DJ Hog Head Cheese,” took the stand at his trial and stated that he is one of the hottest D.J.s in the U.S., claiming to be “world-renowned.” He is affiliated with the Ideal Talent Agency in Atlanta, which, according to its web-site, features well-known Hip Hop artists such as 3-6 Mafia, 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Mike Jones. Kenneth Watkins has been featured on XM Radio.

The government presented evidence at trial that Watkins and Seven Alexander Aaron were arrested on April 22, 2008, after their eastbound vehicle, a tractor-trailer car hauler, was stopped by a West Central Texas Interlocal Crime Task Force Officer on Interstate 20, near mile marker 266, in Taylor County, Texas, because it didn’t have secure chains or a license plate. Aaron was driving the vehicle; Watkins was the sole passenger. The car hauler was loaded with a maroon Chrysler minivan and a black Range Rover. After obtaining Aaron’s consent, the officers searched the tractor-trailer and the two loaded vehicles, and discovered six bricks of cocaine in a black backpack in the rear hatch of the Range Rover. Testimony at trial showed that Watkins had hidden the backpack in the Range Rover. The street value of the cocaine in the backpack is approximately $3 million.

Court documents showed that on two previous occasions, Aaron and Watkins had transported substantial quantities of illegal drugs from Phoenix to Atlanta. Aaron and Watkins would generally meet in the Atlanta area and load vehicles onto the car hauler and transport them to Phoenix, specifically using the vehicles to conceal the illegal narcotics from law enforcement. Upon arriving in Phoenix, several individuals would load the vehicles with illegal narcotics and Aaron and Watkins would then drive the tractor-trailer car hauler back to Atlanta.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the excellent investigative efforts of the West Central Texas Interlocal Crime Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody L. Skipper and Jeffrey R. Haag of the Lubbock, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.

###