Man pleads innocent in April drug charges

Felon faces 2 counts in gun at school

The Little Rock man arrested and charged Thursday with carrying a gun at his child’s school made an initial plea in federal court on three counts in an April drug indictment.

Zyphria Watts, 39, of 3822 W. Capitol Ave. pleaded innocent Friday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Volpe to one count of drug conspiracy and two counts of the use of a phone to further the possession or sale of marijuana.

Watts was the last of 12 people named in an April 2 indictment to be arrested, said FBI officials, who tied others in the April indictment — specifically Troy Dion Allen — to a larger drug-trafficking operation indicted in May and accused them of working with a Mexican Gulf cartel.

Volpe said the three counts Watts faces could result in as many as 48 years in prison, as well as $6 million in fines.

Watts waived his right to bail pending action by the state on the charges that led to his arrest Thursday.

School officials said Watts was at the campus shared by Pulaski Heights Elementary and Middle schools about 8:20 a.m. for an assembly when another parent attending noticed a gun in the man’s overalls.

Campus security, as well as police, confronted Watts, who told them he had been hunting earlier and then apologized to school officials for bringing the gun to campus.

Police said Watts is a felon, so in addition to being charged with possession of a handgun on school property, he was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.

As of Friday evening, Watts remained in the Pulaski County jail on several federal holds, as well as in lieu of a $50,000 bond set by the Little Rock District Court.

Volpe set Watts’ next trial date for 9 a.m. Dec. 9.