Details emerge in Watkins arrest

Details emerge in Watkins arrest

State NAACP official weighs in after county VP’s arrest in Memphis

news@theeveningtimes.com

Officials with the local chapter of the NAACP have no comment on the recent arrest of one of its vice presidents on multiple drug charges, including methamphetamine with a street value estimated at $80,000, in Memphis two weeks ago.

However, the organization’s state legal counsel is vowing to get to the bottom of the incident amid reports that NAACP money was possibly used to post bond.

“Mr. Kyle Watkins and the Crittenden County organization as a whole has been diligently looked at by the state conference for negative activities, acts of violence, and incorrigible activities toward citizens,” said State NAACP Conference Legal Counsel James Welspom. “This is not a not a surprise to the office of the state conference. This is not the end. We must go through Crittenden County to find the others that are involved. The State Conference had no part in bonding him out.”

Kyle Watkins, along with Kesslin Richardson, were arrested Jan. 19 in Memphis and charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell, and one count of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell.

According to Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, a drug dog detected the smell of narcotics coming from a package at a sorting facility.

Investigators discovered 925 grams of methamphetamine inside the package, which had been shipped from Los Angeles.

Detectives conducted a controlled delivery to the address at 3755 Miami in Memphis. A male later identified as Kyal White accepted the parcel and signed for it.

According to the arrest report, about 30 to 40 minutes later a white Cadillac driven by Watkins pulled into the driveway. Detectives witnessed a black male identified as Kesslin Richardson, 28, from Inglewood, California, leave the home with the package and place it inside the trunk of the vehicle.

Detectives pulled in behind the Cadillac and ordered Richardson and Watkins, to exit the vehicle. Investigators found 19 grams of marijuana and $1,088 in cash in Richardson’s

pocket.

Both men told detectives that they had no idea what was in the box and that they were just there to return a parcel for a friend who had received it by accident.

But according to Kyal White whose house was used for the delivery, Watkins and Richardson asked him to receive the package in exchange for marijuana.

Detectives located a backpack in the house containing 132 grams of marijuana which White said he was given as payment for using his address.

Watkins was arrested and released on $75,000 bond on Jan. 27. Richardson remains in jail on a one million dollar bond.

Hubert Bass, who is a Justice of the Peace on the Crittenden County Quorum Court and ambassador for the West Memphis NAACP chapter, referred all comments

to chapter president

Shabaka Afrika.

“We met about this particular situation,” Bass said.

“But I will defer to the president and get back to you later if that is what he wants.”

Afrika did not respond to a call for comment. Attempts to contact Watkins also were unsuccessful.

The West Memphis NAACP chapter has been surrounded in controversy for the last ten years following a highly publicized battle for control over local leadership and racially tinged statements by Afrika and other members, and was only recently recognized by the state NAACP organization as a legitimate

chapter.

Evening Times Staff Report