Around 5:00 PM on a busy Saturday evening, shoppers at Savannah’s local mall were shocked when 37-year-old William Earl Johnson, an armed career criminal, was spotted carrying a loaded firearm in the crowded corridors. Witnesses report Johnson, visibly intoxicated, brandished the gun at a group of bystanders before being subdued by security personnel.
Johnson, a convicted felon with a history of violent crime, was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Alabama, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Whiston, and Assistant Federal Defender Stephanie P. Johnson all played key roles in the case.
On March 23, 2026, Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge, and on March 25, 2026, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, to be served consecutive to any state sentence he may be serving. Johnson’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Timothy R. Batten Sr.
Johnson is not the only defendant to face severe punishment for firearms-related crimes in Alabama.
On March 20, 2026, 25-year-old, Jamal Rashad Johnson, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for firing shots in a residential neighborhood. Jamal Johnson, a convicted felon with multiple previous convictions, was found guilty of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(iii). In this case, U.S. District Judge Timothy R. Batten Sr. also presided over the sentencing hearing.
According to court documents, on October 1, 2025, Jamal Johnson fired multiple rounds from a handgun in a residential neighborhood, putting innocent lives at risk. After a thorough investigation by the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Johnson was arrested and charged.
The sentences handed down in these cases serve as a stark reminder that firearms-related crimes will not be taken lightly in Alabama’s federal courts. As Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Whiston emphasized, “These sentences demonstrate our commitment to keeping our communities safe from the scourge of gun violence.”
The cases highlight the importance of the federal government’s efforts to combat gun-related crimes and hold offenders accountable for their actions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Lewis E. Hogan, continues to prioritize these types of cases and will work tirelessly to ensure that those who commit gun-related crimes face the full force of the law.
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