RIDGELAND, S.C. (May 15, 2024) – A Ridgeland resident and convicted felon has been returned to prison, this time for breaking drug and gun laws.
Kenneth Crivan Mitchell, 32, was found guilty Tuesday by a Jasper County General Sessions Court jury of trafficking methamphetamine, unlawful carrying of a pistol, possession of a stolen handgun and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
“With this conviction, a repeat offender and a substantial quantity of drugs are off the streets,” said Trasi Campbell of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. She was assisted by Assistant Solicitor James Sharpe.
A Ridgeland police officer discovers a stolen handgun in the vehicle driven by Kenneth Craivan Mitchell after a July 2020 traffic stop. Mitchell also was charged with drug trafficking and has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
On July 16, 2020, Mitchell was stopped by a Ridgeland Police officer for driving a car with a defective brake light. During the traffic stop, the officer noted the smell of marijuana. Mitchell admitted he had a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. He handed the officer a small, black bag, which contained more than 400 pills of methamphetamine, marijuana and a digital scale.
The officer also found a handgun under the driver’s seat. The .40-caliber Springfield had been reported stolen from its owner in Savannah.
Campbell called six witnesses during one day of testimony at the Jasper County Courthouse.
Mitchell’s criminal history includes convictions for misprision of a felony, burglary, simple battery, obstruction of law enforcement, receiving stolen property and driving under suspension.
The trafficking conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. He also received a total of 11 years for the gun-law violations. Those penalties, imposed by Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen, are to be served concurrently.
Campbell is a member of the Solicitor’s Office Career Criminal Unit, which prosecutes the circuit’s most violent and habitual offenders. That team has secured convictions against 489 of the 534 defendants it has prosecuted since its formation in 2009.
Kenneth Craivan Mitchell
