Augusta man sentenced for trafficking heroin, possessing a firearm

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A Richmond County man has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison after his conviction on drug trafficking and gun possession charges.

Kelvin Laron Howard, 68, was sentenced after a U.S. District Court jury convicted him 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.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall fined Howard $2,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

“Kelvin Howard was identified as a significant distributor of illegal drugs in the Augusta area, and held to account through a jury trial,” said Steinberg. “His sentence demonstrates there is no tolerance for armed drug dealers in our community.”

A U.S. District Court jury convicted Howard on all charges in December 2023.

Richmond County Sheriff’s Office identified Howard as a heroin distributor in the Augusta area. Investigators found enough heroin for more than 700 individual doses, drug scales and packaging materials, nearly $1,000 and a loaded pistol, according to the news release.

“The arrest and subsequent conviction of Kelvin Howard by way of a jury trial is an example of the community’s support we have in Richmond County,” said Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “Mr. Howard was not only identified as participating in illegal drug activity, but he was also found to have a firearm in his possession as a convicted felon. His conviction has the potential to save lives by having one less illegal firearm on the streets and illegal drugs in our community.”

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