Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Maylik Watson, 29, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 6, 2020, Watson sold approximately 174.9 grams of  methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Charleston for $5,600.

Watson and 11 other individuals have pleaded guilty to charges arising from a long-term investigation dubbed the “Woo Boyz.” The investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Bloods and Gangster Disciples criminal gangs that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in the Charleston area from July 2020 until February 2021.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-32.

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