Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced that Dejavahn Watkin, a 25-year-old resident of Hartford, entered a guilty plea to narcotics trafficking before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven.
Court documents and statements reveal that on October 1, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Hartford Task Force executed a search warrant at Watkin's apartment on Broad Street in Hartford. The search uncovered approximately 38 grams of loose fentanyl, around 1,800 wax folds containing fentanyl, quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, narcotics processing and packaging items, a loaded Glock .22 caliber handgun, and $18,362 in cash. Watkin was arrested during this operation. Investigators also recovered a loaded Stag Arms Stag-15 rifle that Watkin reportedly discarded from a window as law enforcement approached his residence.
Watkin pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and an unspecified quantity of cocaine. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment and could result in up to 40 years behind bars. A sentencing date has not yet been determined.
Since his arrest, Watkin has remained in custody.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force is composed of members from various agencies including the DEA Hartford Resident Office and multiple police departments across Connecticut such as those from Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham is prosecuting the case.