Augusta heroin dealer convicted, will face up to 25 years in prison
A Richmond County man was convicted Tuesday of distributing heroin in the Augusta area.
Kelvin Laron Howard, 68, of Augusta, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury after a two-day trial 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, according to a news release from Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Howard will face a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison on the drug charge, with an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison for the gun possession charge, according to the release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office identified Howard as a heroin distributor in the Augusta area and searched his apartment in August 2019, finding enough heroin for more than 700 individual doses, according to the release. Deputies also found drug scales and packaging materials, nearly $1,000 in cash and a loaded semiautomatic pistol.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Howard guilty on all charges, according to the release. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing for Howard after U.S. Probation Services completes a presentence investigation.
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This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta heroin dealer convicted
