BOISE – Tyler Watson, 40, of Nampa, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possessing ten pounds of fentanyl with intent to distribute it to others, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, Watson was a mid-level fentanyl distributor for a large drug trafficking organization with direct ties to Mexico. Watson locally sold approximately $15,000 worth of fentanyl pills and powder on a weekly basis. When he was arrested on June 7, 2022, he had four and a half kilos (approximately ten pounds) of fentanyl powder, 74.63 grams of fentanyl in pill form (approximately 750 pills), 55 grams of methamphetamine, and $8,608 in drug proceeds.
“With our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to vigorously pursue fentanyl traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “A tiny amount of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose, and in this case, it is estimated that the defendant possessed enough fentanyl to theoretically kill 439,000 people. The magnitude of this threat is sobering, but cases like this demonstrate that, together, law enforcement is rising to the challenge of keeping Idahoans safe.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners will work tirelessly to stop drug traffickers like Mr. Watson from dealing their poison in our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The lengthy prison term that Mr. Watson received should serve as a warning to those who would seek to destroy others’ lives for their own financial gain because, if they do, we will find them and bring them to justice.”
“Collaboration and teamwork with local, state, and federal partners is necessary to keep the pressure on drug dealers,” said Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff. “These criminals need to understand we’re working together all of the time, and on every level, to keep the Treasure Valley safe. I’m very proud of the work that’s happening in my community.”
“This case illustrates the sheer magnitude of dangerous, illicit drugs with direct ties to Mexico and the Mexican Drug Cartels that are in our communities and on our streets here in Idaho,” said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “And this is just one example. We must continue working collaboratively with our local, state, and federal partners to enforce the rule of law and stop this blatant criminality. The very safety of our republic depends on it.”
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Watson to pay a $1,000 fine and to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Watson pled guilty to the charge on November 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force consisting of officers from the United States Marshals Service, the United States Probation Office, the Nampa Police Department, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho Department of Correction Probation and Parole. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.