An Augusta man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for drug and firearm offenses. Ryan Partridge, aged 35, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., who also imposed four years of supervised release following his prison term.

Court records indicate that in July 2023, Partridge was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by officers from the Augusta Police Department. During the search, authorities found a backpack containing approximately 125 grams of fentanyl and a 9mm pistol. Partridge admitted ownership of both items.

At the time of his arrest, Partridge had an extensive criminal history with 12 prior convictions, including two for drug felonies. He was on probation for aggravated trafficking of fentanyl dating back to a 2019 conviction and had an outstanding warrant related to failing to report a change of address.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and U.S. Border Patrol with assistance from the Augusta Police Department.