James Fitzgerald Simonton, a/k/a Boogie, 50, of Kingsport, Tennessee, was convicted by a federal jury on March 2, 2018, following a three-day trial in Greeneville. The verdict, delivered before U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer, found Simonton guilty of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, and witness intimidation.
The case exploded from a violent beginning: in May 2016, two young males arrived at Indian Path Hospital with gunshot wounds—one of them Simonton’s own son. The incident triggered a Kingsport Police Department investigation that quickly zeroed in on Simonton as a suspect in the shooting. When officers raided his residence, they seized a Glock pistol with an extended magazine. Forensic tracing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) linked the weapon to Simonton’s neighbor—but store records and surveillance from Academy Sports in Johnson City placed Simonton on scene during the firearm’s purchase, alongside a co-defendant.
Further video evidence confirmed Simonton’s presence when his then-girlfriend bought a second firearm. The probe deepened when two co-defendants—including another of Simonton’s sons—were arrested in possession of crack cocaine. Their arrests unraveled a trafficking network funneling crack from Georgia into Sullivan County, Tennessee. Investigators ultimately recovered the primary weapon used in the hospital shooting: an AK63, 7.62 caliber rifle—tied directly to Simonton’s criminal operation.
While behind bars awaiting trial, Simonton didn’t stop fighting. He threatened a cooperating witness in a bid to derail justice, directly violating federal law. The jury found him guilty of witness intimidation, sealing his fate with an additional federal charge that carries severe sentencing enhancements.
The joint investigation was spearheaded by the Kingsport Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Gregory Bowman prosecuted the case for the United States, leveraging charges under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)—a national initiative that strengthens local and federal collaboration to target gun violence and drug-related crime.
Simonton faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison, with the possibility of a life sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court, Greeneville. There is no parole in the federal system—meaning every year of his sentence will be served behind bars.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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