Preston Watson has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for multiple drug, assault, and weapons charges in Hendry County. He was adjudicated guilty of the following:
Actual Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon – 3 counts
Possession of a Place with Knowledge of Trafficking, Sale, or Manufacture of a Controlled Substance – 2 counts
Sale of a Controlled Substance within 1,000 ft. of a Public Park – 2 counts
Aggravated Assault with a Firearm – 1 count
Trafficking in Amphetamine (14 grams or more) – 1 count
Conspiracy to Traffic (7 grams or more) in a Controlled Substance – 1 count
Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device – 1 count
Watson was arrested as part of an investigation in 2019 by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit into a criminal organization selling drugs and firearms in Hendry County. Watson was running a “trap house” in LaBelle, meaning a house utilized to sell drugs. He sold drugs to undercover law enforcement claiming it was heroin. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement analysis determined it was a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In another investigation, Watson arranged to sell a trafficking amount of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement. During the arranged sale in the home Watson was running, he pointed a firearm at the officer and cocked the trigger.
During a third investigation, Watson and co-defendant Angel Herrera, sold a “Tommy Gun” style firearm to the undercover law enforcement officer.
Watson did an open plea to the court, which is a defendant’s right to plea directly to a judge, giving up their right to a jury trial. It is not a plea agreement.
Co-defendant Angel Herrera was sentenced to a 3-year minimum/mandatory sentence for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Assistant State Attorney Clark Cary prosecuted the cases.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office