San Antonio gang member sentenced to 10 years on firearm, drug charges

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearm violations.

27-year-old Kenton Maurice Haynes was found guilty in March of one count of receipt of firearm while under indictment; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

According to court documents, in March 2020, law enforcement officers saw Haynes and 29-year-old Kevin Johnson Jr. of San Antonio driving a car in circles in an empty parking lot, parking, then repositioning several times. Another car pulled up, and the driver got out and into the backseat of Johnson's car.

Officers then arrested all three for a drug transaction in progress, says the US Attorney's Office. At the time of the arrest, Johnson had a loaded handgun and nearly $10,000 in cash and Haynes had a loaded handgun with a high-capacity magazine and approximately $2,700 in cash

Officers also recovered approximately two-and-a-half pounds of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine during the arrest.

When he was arrested, Haynes was a documented member of the Bloods and Neighborhood Piru street gangs and under felony indictment for state offenses. Haynes was also wanted for multiple felony warrants for narcotics and firearms offenses, says the US Attorney's Office.

Johnson pled guilty in March to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He faces a maximum of five years in prison for the drug charge with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for the firearm charge to be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed.

Johnson is scheduled for sentencing in October.