Watts Brothers Found Not Guilty of All Charges

A federal court jury in Mississippi delivered a verdict in favor of the Texas trial lawyer Mikal Watts and two other co-defendants against the government and secret service, finding the three were innocent of engaging in an allegedly conspiracy to commit fraud by submitting the names of more than 40,000 fictitious claimants who suffered loss of employment or income after the 2010 BP oil spill.
A jury unanimously found Mikal Watts, brother David Watts, and Wynter Lee not guilty of 66 charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, identity theft, and aggravated identity on Thursday just after noon.
“I chose to represent myself because it is my constitutional right to do so, and I believed that I was the best suited to prove to the jury that I am innocent of all charges in the indictment” Watts said.
During the five-week trial, which concluded on August 18, Watts, who chose to represent himself despite the pushback from many, and Mike McCrum, who represented David Watts, used evidence provided by government and defendant witnesses to prove he was innocent of all charges.