BATON ROUGE, LA – Derrick Lamont Johnson, 43, is headed to federal prison for a decade after being sentenced to 120 months (10 years) for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles handed down the sentence Friday, along with three years of supervised release following imprisonment and forfeiture of the weapon involved.
The case unfolded on February 19, 2019, when 911 operators received a frantic call reporting Johnson threatening someone with a gun. The incident stemmed from an earlier dispute. Baton Rouge police responded to the scene and found Johnson at a residence, initially unarmed. He was quickly detained.
The caller then directed officers to the trunk of their car, where a shotgun was located. Johnson’s prior convictions – aggravated flight from an officer (March 2003), simple robbery (September 2003), and another charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm (January 2012) – made the current charge a serious federal offense. It’s a pattern of disregard for the law, and the judge clearly wasn’t impressed.
According to court documents, Johnson admitted to possessing the firearm. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing guns. The ATF spearheaded the investigation, meticulously building the case against Johnson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig prosecuted the case, securing the lengthy sentence.
This isn’t Johnson’s first rodeo with gun charges. The repeat offender clearly didn’t learn from his previous conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. The 120-month sentence sends a clear message: those with a history of violent crime who continue to break the law will face significant consequences.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New Orleans Field Division played a crucial role in bringing this case to fruition. While the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana officially announced the sentencing, it’s the on-the-ground work of the ATF agents that put Johnson behind bars. The investigation underscores the agency’s commitment to reducing gun violence and holding criminals accountable.
Related Federal Cases
- Carlsel Alexander, Gun Possession by Felon, Baton Rouge LA, 2023 · Louisiana
- Derrick Johnson, Gun Violation, New Orleans LA, 2023 · Louisiana
- Shatner Lewis, Illegal Firearm Possession, Baton Rouge LA, 2023 · Louisiana
- Ravious Darnell Thomas, Gun and Crack Cocaine Possession, LA 2024 · Illinois
- Reynaldo Bran Fonseca, Gun Possession, US 2016 · Illinois
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