Capitol Heights Armed Career Criminal Exiled to over 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Gun and Ammunition

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Lamont Luther Johnson, age 36, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, today to 183 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Messitte enhanced Johnson’s sentence upon finding that he is an armed career criminal, based on three previous convictions for armed robbery and a conviction for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief Roberto L. Hylton of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey.

According to court documents, on July 30, 2009, a Prince George’s County Police officer stopped Johnson while he was driving in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, for a broken brake light. When the officer approached the car, he saw Johnson reach under the driver’s seat, then get out of the car and move toward the passenger side. The officer ordered Johnson to return to the driver’s side of the car but Johnson ran away. Officers recovered a loaded .38 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number from under the driver’s seat and a folder, containing Johnson’s learner’s permit, social security card and birth certificate from the passenger side of the car. Johnson was a fugitive until his arrest on September 2, 2009.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the ATF, Prince George’s County Police Department and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Stacy Dawson Belf and George Hazel, who prosecuted the case.