Johnstown Crack Kingpins Face Years Behind Bars

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The grim reaper’s hand descended on two Johnstown crack cocaine kingpins as federal Judge Marilyn J. Horan locked them up for an eternity that feels like it. Kevin Johnson, 39, and Daniel Culmer, 58, have been sentenced to serve over eight years each for their roles in a conspiracy to spread the deadly drug throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Johnson was handed 100 months behind bars, followed by four years of supervised release, while Culmer, who was already on supervised release for distributing heroin in 2018, got an extra six years for his latest transgression. The court heard that from March to July 2021, Johnson and Culmer conspired to distribute a substantial amount of crack cocaine, with Johnson intercepted on a federal wiretap while distributing the drug.

Culmer’s past as a drug kingpin was no secret; he was already serving time for heroin distribution when he got his hands on more. But this time, it seemed they had outsmarted their own fate. Until the feds caught wind and bared their fangs.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon led the charge against these criminals, representing the government with tenacity. Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti commended law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of justice, singling out the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for their pivotal roles.

But this victory was no solitary achievement. A phalanx of agencies, including the ATF, IRS-CI, US Postal Inspection Service, and state and local police forces from Cambria, Indiana, and Richland counties, joined forces to dismantle the drug ring that terrorized communities. Their efforts were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, a multi-agency approach designed to take down the top echelons of criminal networks.

This prosecution sends a chilling message: in Johnstown and beyond, the war on drugs is far from over, and those who peddle its deadly wares will face years, if not decades, behind bars. The grim reaper’s hand has claimed its due, but for Johnson and Culmer, it’s a long time coming.