Prison without parole for Athens gang leader convicted of drug trafficking

By Joe Johnson

Kevin Adonay Castro, a ranking member of the 18th Street gang in Athens, has been sentenced to 10 straight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.

The plea was made in Superior Court last month as part of a negotiated agreement with the District Attorney’s Office.

In return for pleading guilty to the trafficking charge and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, DA’s office dismissed felony possession charges concerning marijuana, cocaine and THC, and also violations of the state anti-gang statute.

Castro, 22, was given a total sentence of 40 years, with the first 10 in prison without parole and the balance on probation,

“This agreement ensures that the defendant will no longer be able to endanger our community and holds him accountable by taking him off our streets for 10 years and providing an extended period of supervision thereafter,” District Attorney Kalki Yalamanchili said,

Castro’s arrest in June 2025 culminated an investigation by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department Gang Unit and Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force..

Authorities described him as a local leader of the national 18th Street gang who supervised firearms-protected drug sales.

Court records indicate that evidence seized from his Firewood Street residence included large quantities of drugs, an AR-15 assault rifle, a .380-caliber pistol, and a Mac-11 machine pistol his gang colors tied to the magazine,