Arrested With 1-year-old in Arms After Drug Deal
Bring your kids to work day – a well loved tradition in recent American history that many children, and even some parents, look forward to. On the third Thursday of April every year, millions of Americans participate, bringing their children into their workplaces to allow for a multi-generational experience, and an opportunity for their children to encounter a professional work environment. But there are some jobs that just don’t lend themselves well to this event, regardless of whether or not the nation is bringing their children to work with them. Example? Drug dealing.
According to court documents, 29-year-old Martell Watkins, a three-time convicted felon, sold heroin to an undercover police officer at a party store in Jackson. That sounds pretty ordinary in the grand scheme of things. But then there were the children he brought along with him. Never mind that “Take Your Kids to Work Day” had already passed or that taking them along on a drug deal might not be the best idea. In fact, it’s a very good way to invite CPS involvement. But he apparently didn’t consider any of that.
Police records show that Watkins was contacted by an undercover officer working with the MSP Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team. They set up a meeting at Tate’s Party Store for 7:30 pm. After the call ended, surveillance teams watched Watkins with his three little children heading out for the prearranged meeting.
Watkins apparently arrived at the store, made the trade with the officer—heroin for $120—and then attempted to leave. He was holding the 1-year-old in his arms at the time, and was arrested as he walked out of the building. While it is known that Watkins brought three children to the drug deal, police records do not say whether or not the children in question were actually his own children or someone else’s.
Police executed a search of his home later that same night and discovered a few things that racked up additional charges. Officers found some marijuana in one of the kitchen cupboards, a loaded gun under a bed, and five rounds of ammunition inside a box that also contained some children’s medication.
Watkins’ wife was interviewed by police, who say that she claimed to know nothing of any drugs or guns in her home. She also apparently said that the gun under the bed did not belong to her.
Watkins is now facing federal charges in the US District Court. He is charged with single counts of felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted on all three counts, Watkins could be looking at life in prison.