LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Kavione Watts, already in custody facing serious drug trafficking and identity fraud allegations, has been charged with assaulting correctional officers at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
According to court documents filed on April 13, 2025, the incident occurred when officers attempted to remove Watts from his cell. After refusing verbal commands, Watts allegedly struck Cpl. Crow in the chest and grabbed equipment from Crow’s tactical vest, partially dislodging a sheriff’s radio. Witnesses reported that Watts also grabbed another officer by the thigh during the struggle as he resisted restraint.
As a result, Watts now faces two new misdemeanor counts of second-degree assault and two counts of assault on a correctional employee. Judge James Tanavage ordered Watts held without bond during an April 14 bail review. His next hearing for the assault charges is scheduled for May 27, 2025.
Watts was already being held following his April 4, 2025 arrest, when deputies approached him on an outstanding warrant. During that encounter, Watts allegedly gave deputies his brother’s name in an attempt to evade arrest. However, he was recognized by Officer Welch, and a search uncovered a straw with suspected drug residue and a dollar bill containing a blue powder later identified as fentanyl.
He was charged in that case with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), possession of drug paraphernalia, and identity fraud—each classified as misdemeanors.
Compounding his legal troubles, Watts is under a March 2025 grand jury indictment alongside co-defendant Jerzie Berry. The indictment alleges conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and counterfeit oxycodone between May 18, 2024, and the date of the indictment. Charges include two felony counts of conspiracy to distribute, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, and an additional count of fentanyl possession carrying up to one year and a $5,000 fine.
Watts remains in custody, represented by the St. Mary’s County Public Defender’s Office, with court proceedings pending across multiple cases.
