Johnson City Man Convicted Of Drug And Firearms Offenses

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court, on Sept 5, 2013, Marcus Lyonel Story, 33, of Johnson City, Tenn., was convicted of knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Story had already pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Sentencing is set for 9:00 a.m., January 6, 2014. Story faces a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

In May 2013 members of the Johnson City Police Department, First Judicial District Drug Task Force, and Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted a surveillance operation that resulted in the arrest of Story on an outstanding warrant. A subsequent search of Story’s home revealed 38.8 pounds of marijuana, 110 grams of cocaine and over $8000 in cash. The estimated street value of these drugs was $50,000. In addition, law enforcement also located six semi-automatic pistols and several hundred rounds of ammunition. Evidence presented at trial showed that Story kept the firearms to protect himself, his drug inventory, and his drug sale proceeds.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Regalia represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.