Convicted Felon Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution and Gun Possession Crimes

Memphis, TN – Kendrick Watson, 44, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 540 months in federal prison after being convicted by a federal jury of multiple drug distribution and firearm offenses. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to the information presented in court, law enforcement officers intercepted a package containing cocaine sent from Houston, Texas and set for delivery to Watson’s residence.  After a search of the residence, officers found fentanyl, methamphetamine, drug-distribution materials and proceeds, multiple firearms, ammunition, and gun magazines.  In February 2024, a federal jury found Watson guilty of one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, three counts of possession of a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and three counts of possession of a gun as a convicted felon.

The conviction mandated a 300-month sentence, consecutive to any other sentence, based on Watson’s prior conviction for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.  Watson was also designated as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines due to his prior convictions for a crime of violence and controlled substance offenses in Memphis.  On August 1, 2024, United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Watson to a total of 45 years of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration - Memphis Resident Office and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Allen and Naya Bedini, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.

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 For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.