Clay County Jury Finds Watson Guilty of Possession of Methamphetamine

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Clay County jury found James Eric Watson guilty of Possession of Methamphetamine and Driving While License is Suspended or Revoked. With the verdict, Watson faces up to five years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable James Kallaher will sentence Watson at a later date.

On Jan. 21, 2023, an officer with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office made a traffic stop on Watson for an expired tag. Watson told the officer that he did not have a license, and he provided the officer with his personal information. The officer searched Watson’s information and found two active arrest warrants for Watson out of Duval County. The officer took Watson into custody. During the arrest and search of Watson, the officer found a glass vial in his front pant pocket containing a clear crystal-like substance. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Richard Natto Jr. and Hector Murcia Bustos.