Department of Justice

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Michael Watts, a 40 year old resident of Selma, Alabama was sentenced to 27 months of incarceration for possession of two firearms after previously being convicted of two felonies, namely, Assault 1st and Shooting into an Occupied Building.

 

On February 19, 2019, Watts entered a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement and admitted in open court that on December 3, 2018, at approximately 10:50 pm, Dallas County, AL Sheriff’s Office deputies were working at a driver’s license checkpoint on County Road 81 in the Selma, Alabama area. Watts approached the check point driving a Grey Ford Crown Victoria and was asked to provide his driver’s license. When deputies asked for Watts’ driver’s license they could smell marijuana coming for inside the vehicle. Watts and the other occupant in the vehicle (the front seat passenger) were then asked to exit the vehicle. Both did so without incident.   Before officers could conduct a safety check of Watts, he told them, “I have two guns on me.”   The firearms were seized from his front pocket. They are described as a Smith & Wesson, Airweight, .38 caliber pistol, and an FIE, Titan, .25 caliber pistol.
 
Deputies of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office along with special agents of the ATF investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney's Office for prosecution.  The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.