Jefferson County drug dealer sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont drug dealer has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Sterling Van Johnson, 43, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 29, 2025.

According to information presented in court, while investigating drug trafficking activity in Beaumont, several controlled purchases of narcotics were made with Johnson.  In September 2024, a search warrant was executed at a Beaumont residence Johnson was selling drugs from and officers recovered various narcotics and two firearms. Johnson admitted to possessing the drugs for distribution and possessing the firearm as part of that activity.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.

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