Marcus Hook Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Gun Crimes

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James I. Watts, aka "Chubbs," 41, of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 276 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for drug trafficking and gun offenses.

The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in May 2023 and pleaded guilty in September of last year to two counts each of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

As detailed in court filings and statements, Watts was the leader of the Crown Royal Gang ("CRG"), a street gang involved in trafficking large quantities of narcotics, including methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, in Northeast Philadelphia.

The FBI, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police Department ("PPD"), began investigating the CRG's activities in early 2020. In October of that year, investigators began conducting surveillance operations pertaining to the CRG in the vicinity of the Oxford Village Housing Project (6150 Algon Avenue), specifically targeting a yellow Ford E250 van parked on the 1000 block of Benner Street within the housing project. Investigation revealed that the van was registered to the defendant.

On numerous occasions from October 2020 through March 2021, investigators saw members of CRG, including Watts and several co-defendants, place in or remove small items or bags to and from the yellow Ford van. On March 12, 2021, investigators observed CRG members, including the defendant, congregating near the vehicle. During this time, investigators saw Watts remove a black plastic bag from the yellow Ford van, enter a white Acura TL with the bag, and leave the area.

PPD officers conducted a traffic stop of the Acura shortly thereafter, and Watts, the operator and sole occupant, was determined to have a suspended Pennsylvania driver's license. He was removed from the vehicle, patted down for officer safety, and found to be in possession of $4,000 cash. After a PPD narcotics K-9 gave positive alerts for drugs on both the Acura and the Ford van, search warrants for the vehicles were obtained and executed, with over a kilogram of cocaine and varying quantities of crystal meth, heroin, oxycodone pills, and crack recovered. In addition, drug packaging paraphernalia, numerous cell phones, and four handguns were recovered from the vehicles.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Lindsey Mills.