Augusta man convicted for trafficking heroin, possessing a firearm

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta man was convicted Tuesday after a two-day trial on drug trafficking and gun possession charges, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Kelvin Laron Howard, 68, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury on charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

The conviction subjects Howard to a statutory penalty of up to 20 years on the drug charge, with an additional minimum of five years for gun possession, officials say.

“Kelvin Howard viewed Augusta as a wide-open market where he could profit from illegal drugs,” said Steinberg. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify and shut down those who would endanger our communities with illicit drugs and illegal guns.”

Officials say the jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Howard guilty on all charges brought in an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in May 2020.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office that identified Howard as a heroin distributor, according to the news release.

During a search of Howard’s apartment in August 2019, investigators found enough heroin for more than 700 individual doses, drug scales, packaging materials, around $1,000 in cash and a loaded semiautomatic pistol, according to court documents and testimony.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing after U.S. Probation Services completes a presentence investigation.

The case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and Alex M. Hamner.

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