Steven Eugene Johnson, Gun and Homemade Silencer Possession, TN 2018

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Steven Eugene Johnson, a.k.a. Yahya Johnson, 36, of Knoxville, Tennessee, is headed to federal prison for 37 months after being caught with guns, ammo, and a homemade silencer — all off-limits due to a 2011 felony conviction. On February 20, 2018, U.S. District Judge Pamela Reeves handed down the sentence, sealing Johnson’s fate for violating federal gun laws meant to keep weapons out of dangerous hands.

Johnson pleaded guilty to charges under the Gun Control Act for being a felon in possession of a firearm and to a separate count under the National Firearms Act for possessing an unregistered silencer. Federal prosecutors proved he had no legal right to handle any firearm or ammunition, yet he openly discussed buying, selling, and trading weapons online — and even sought ways to bypass mandatory background checks.

Between March and July 2017, Johnson boasted to associates about acquiring and building homemade silencers, according to court records. His digital trail lit up red flags, prompting federal agents to move. In July 2017, FBI and ATF agents raided his Knoxville home, seizing a .22 caliber handgun, a .22 caliber rifle, more than 600 rounds of ammunition, a functional homemade suppressor, and materials believed to be used in constructing a destructive device.

Johnson admitted to federal investigators that he knowingly possessed the firearms, ammo, and silencer. No plea deal softened the blow — just straight accountability. Upon release, he’ll face three years under strict supervision by the U.S. Probation Office, a constant reminder that his actions put lives at risk.

“To protect the safety of our citizens and neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute aggressively convicted felons who illegally possess or attempt to gain access to firearms,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “His conviction and prison sentence has disrupted any plan of violence that he may have intended to pursue at this time.”

The case was a joint operation by the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bart Slabbekorn. It was brought under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative reinvigorated in 2017 under then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to combat rising violent crime. ATF Special Agent in Charge Jack Webb called the sentencing a blow against illegal firearms networks, while FBI Knoxville Chief Renae McDermott emphasized the national security threat posed by armed felons operating in plain sight.