Lancaster Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm Charges

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Kevin Lamont Clinton, 50, of Lancaster, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that in 2019, the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating unlawful drug activity in the Lancaster County area. In December 2019, agents served a search warrant at Clinton's residence in Lancaster after making a controlled purchase of heroin from Clinton at the residence. Clinton was found sitting on a bed with a loaded .40 caliber pistol next to him. A further search of the bedroom uncovered plastic baggies containing over 18 grams of a drug mixture containing fentanyl. More ammunition was found scattered throughout the house. In July 2020 and August 2020, Clinton was also found with firearms and illegal drugs at different locations in Lancaster County.

Clinton is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. Clinton had a 1997 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. In 2006, Clinton had convictions for resisting arrest and possession of crack cocaine.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Clinton to 71 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case.

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