Convicted Summerville drug dealer could face life sentence

A Summerville man faces a possible life sentence after a federal trial that showed his involvement in importing more than 100 pounds of cocaine to the Charleston area, prosecutors said.

Kenneth Joseph Johnson Jr., 40, was convicted of conspiracy to possess more than 5 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute it, according to a release from W. Walter Wilkins, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. Evidence at trial established that Johnson was actually involved in the importation of over 50 kilograms —some 110 pounds— of cocaine into the Charleston area during the summer months of 2006, the release says. Prosecutors said Johnson distributed that cocaine to various other cocaine dealers.

Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Norton presided over the trial and will impose sentence at a later date.

The amount of cocaine involved in the conspiracy, coupled with Johnson's history of drug convictions, means that he could face life in prison, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office investigated. Assistant Attorney Alston C. Badger of the Charleston office handled the case.