Curtis James Johnson, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Iowa 2022

A notorious drug trafficker, Curtis James Johnson, has been sentenced to a total of 29 years in federal prison.

Curtis James Johnson, 36, from Talladega, Alabama, received the prison term after a July 30, 2021 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and an August 16, 2021 guilty plea to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The arrest of Johnson came after law enforcement’s subsequent searches of two homes led to the discovery of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm at a relative’s residence and a loaded firearm at another residence associated with Johnson in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area.

This was not Johnson’s first run-in with the law; prior to the current conduct, he had amassed a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for battery causing bodily injury and assault causing bodily injury. Additionally, Johnson was previously convicted of burglary and felony drug trafficking offenses.

Following his arrest, Johnson further attempted to tamper with a witness by calling his mother using another inmate’s phone account in the jail and discussing paying the witness to not attend Johnson’s upcoming trial. Furthermore, evidence at sentencing showed Johnson was also involved in making ‘hooch’ while in jail.

Curtis James Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 288 months’ imprisonment for the drug count and 60 months for the firearm count for a total of 348 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Johnson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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