Two Oak Hill residents, Lesley Scott Watkins, 50, and Jawuan Akil Watts, 31, have entered guilty pleas to charges of being felons in possession of firearms. The pleas were made in federal court in Charleston.
Court records show that on July 5, 2024, Watkins had an HS Product model XD-S .45-caliber pistol and a Sig Sauer model P220 .45-caliber pistol in Fayette County. The following day, Watts was found with a Heritage Manufacturing model Rough Rider .22-caliber revolver and a Colt model Peacemaker .22-caliber revolver in the same county.
Federal law prohibits individuals with prior felony convictions from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Watkins was previously convicted for delivery of a controlled substance in Fayette County Circuit Court on September 24, 2008. Watts had a prior conviction for burglary from Raleigh County Circuit Court dated July 11, 2014.
Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2025. They each face up to 15 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and fines as high as $250,000.
“Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Oak Hill Police Department.”
The hearings were overseen by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and D. Keith Randolph are handling the prosecutions.
“These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).”
Further details about these cases can be accessed through PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-92 (Watkins) and 2:25-cr-93 (Watts).
