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Tallahassee Gun & Drug Trafficker Triston Johnson Faces Life
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Triston Chacoey Aric Johnson, 21, of Tallahassee, is staring down a potential life sentence after pleading guilty to a slew of federal charges, including firearm and drug trafficking offenses. The guilty plea, announced by U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin, caps a brutal investigation revealing a pattern of violence and blatant disregard for the law.
Johnson admitted to possessing a firearm and ammunition while using controlled substances, possessing oxycodone and marijuana with intent to distribute, and illegally possessing a short-barreled rifle used in connection with his drug dealing. The case unfolded across two separate incidents. On October 1, 2023, Johnson bolted from a Florida A&M University (FAMU) police officer, ditching a purple bag containing a firearm, marijuana, mushrooms, and a scale reeking of the drug. A search the next day revealed a *second* firearm inside the bag, along with Johnson’s credit and debit cards.
But the brazen drug activity was only part of the story. On July 17, 2024, Johnson escalated to deadly violence. A verbal altercation turned into a shooting, with Johnson firing at another individual, striking him directly in the heart. The victim, in turn, accidentally shot his girlfriend multiple times while returning fire as Johnson fled the scene. This wasn’t just drug dealing gone wrong; it was a cold-blooded act with devastating consequences.
A subsequent raid of Johnson’s apartment by the Tallahassee Police Department uncovered the extent of his criminal enterprise. Officers seized loose oxycodone pills, approximately 1.4 pounds of marijuana, over 25 empty vacuum seal bags with marijuana residue, a cache of ammunition, and the stolen short-barreled rifle originally taken from a Leon County Sheriff’s Office vehicle. The evidence paints a picture of a well-supplied operation fueled by illegal activity and dangerous weaponry.
U.S. Attorney Heekin made it clear this prosecution is part of a larger push. “I applaud the excellent coordination… to aggressively pursue and prosecute armed drug traffickers,” Heekin stated, tying the case to President Donald J. Trump and former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s “Take Back America” initiative. The operation, leveraging resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), aims to dismantle criminal organizations and reclaim communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also issued a public safety reminder: lock your car doors. Unsecured vehicles are a major source of firearms for criminals in the Northern District of Florida.
Johnson now faces a minimum of 10 years in prison, but could receive a life sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for November 17, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain is prosecuting the case, which was a collaborative effort involving the Tallahassee Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FAMU Department of Campus Safety and Security. For access to court documents, visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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