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Cocaine Supplier Sentenced to 8 Years
Baltimore, MD – Kevin Purnell Johnson, a 36-year-old man from Elkton, Maryland, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy to sell cocaine and crack cocaine in Maryland.
According to the guilty plea, Johnson and his co-conspirators, including Troy Neal and Mark Williams, distributed crack cocaine to multiple customers in Elkton. The investigation, which began in 2019, was conducted by the Maryland State Police, Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security.
During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted text and telephone communications between Johnson and his co-conspirators, revealing coded conversations about drug activity. For example, on May 5, 2020, Johnson discussed the purchase of a half-kilogram of cocaine for $17,000 to $17,500.
On May 18, 2020, police surveilled Johnson meet with an individual in the parking lot of a local hotel, where a traffic stop resulted in the recovery of 29.3 grams of crack cocaine and $1,500 in cash.
Johnson’s plea agreement also states that on June 13, 2020, law enforcement covertly observed Neal, Williams, and Johnson depart from Neal’s residence and travel to the Bronx in New York, where investigators believe that the three men obtained cocaine. The next day, on June 14, 2020, law enforcement observed the three men travel back to Neal’s residence, where a search warrant resulted in the recovery of 497 grams of compressed suspected cocaine.
Johnson’s involvement in drug trafficking was also corroborated by the IRS, which found that he did not file tax returns in 2017, 2018, or 2019 and had no taxable income. Co-conspirators Mark Williams and Troy Lee Neal have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2021, and October 26, 2021, respectively.
Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Kim Y. Oldham for prosecuting the case.
The guilty plea and sentence were announced by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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