Federal prosecutors have indicted two men, including a former county drug court coordinator, on charges of distributing controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed the criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma, formally accusing Johnny F. Watts Jr. and Jonathan E. Karns of possessing drugs with the intent to sell them. This federal action follows the recent dismissal of prior state-level accusations against the pair.
The case stems from a multi-agency narcotics probe detailed in an eight-page affidavit authored by an FBI special agent. The investigation intensified on March 11, 2026, when officers from the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team tracked Watts and an associate, referred to in records as “P.N.,” to a house on Kate’s Court in Port Angeles. A regional SWAT unit surrounded the property to serve a Department of Corrections warrant on the associate, while Watts was stopped outside the home.
During the initial detention, deputies discovered a gun, suspected crack cocaine, and two small packets of fentanyl on Watts. The associate inside the residence held out against officers for roughly three hours before surrendering. A subsequent search of a bedroom linked to Watts revealed a substantial stash of drugs and weapons. Seized items included a shotgun and a black Under Armour backpack holding 183.65 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 24 grams of fentanyl powder, and about 23 grams of cocaine. Investigators also recovered heroin, fentanyl pills, a digital scale, and a handwritten ledger tracking debts. Additional evidence included an AR-style rifle with no serial number and a bag hidden under a mattress containing roughly 458 grams of methamphetamine.
The following day, March 12, Watts requested a meeting with detectives at the Clallam County Jail. After waiving his rights, the former coordinator allegedly admitted to selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, estimating his weekly earnings at $1,000. He identified his supplier and claimed he had bought a large volume of drugs that morning at the 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim. Surveillance video from the casino supported this account, showing Watts entering hotel room 1527 with his black backpack and leaving shortly after with the bag appearing significantly heavier.
Police executed search warrants at the casino hotel later that day based on Watts’s tip. During the operation, officers observed Karns moving a red backpack from the hotel room to a 2010 Lexus IS. Although Karns denied involvement in drug trafficking when detained, a search of the red backpack found 44.45 grams of fentanyl, a small quantity of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun.
Court records identify both men as prior felony convicts, a status that typically bars them from owning firearms. The volume of drugs seized carries significant weight in potential sentencing. Watts faces charges related to a methamphetamine mixture of 500 grams or more, while Karns is charged with distributing a fentanyl mixture of 40 grams or more.
The matter is now being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tacoma, where both defendants are scheduled for initial appearances this afternoon before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.