North Philly Gunman Johnson Gets 14+ Years

PHILADELPHIA – Darrell Johnson, 36, of Philadelphia, is headed to federal prison for over a decade after being sentenced to 14 years and one day for a brazen three-day crime spree in April 2017. Johnson terrorized North Philadelphia businesses, holding them up at gunpoint and displaying a chilling disregard for human life.

According to federal prosecutors, Johnson’s rampage began on April 22, 2017, with a robbery at a 7-Eleven convenience store. Surveillance footage captured Johnson brandishing a distinctive silver and black 9mm semi-automatic pistol, demanding cash from terrified store employees. Just hours later, he struck again, this time at a Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant. The same weapon, the same clothing – and, disturbingly, surveillance video showed Johnson performing calisthenics and stretching *with the gun in his hand* before entering the establishment.

The final act in Johnson’s short-lived crime wave occurred on April 25, 2017, at a Rite Aid pharmacy. Philadelphia Police apprehended Johnson in the middle of the robbery, once again wielding the silver and black firearm. Forensic analysis later confirmed the weapon used in the Rite Aid robbery was the same one used at the 7-Eleven, solidifying the case against Johnson. Ballistics evidence definitively linked a bullet recovered at the 7-Eleven to the recovered firearm.

A grand jury ultimately indicted Johnson in December 2017 on seven counts, including three counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), three counts of using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pled guilty to six of those counts in March 2020. The evidence was overwhelming, and the surveillance footage damning.

“This defendant was determined to commit armed robbery, so much so he did it three times in the span of only four days,” stated U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. “His complete disregard for others and for the law is appalling. Hopefully others will learn from this example: if you rob a business in Philadelphia with a firearm, you are going to face serious federal prison time as a result. Our Office is committed to being ‘All Hands On Deck’ working with our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice.”

Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, added, “The FBI is committed to keeping the Philadelphia area and its citizens safe from predators like Darrell Johnson. Today’s sentencing sends a message to violent criminals that if you terrorize our community, we will find you and bring you to justice.” This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Donahue Kehner and Michael R. Miller. The sentencing is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.

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