Convicted Felon Sentenced for Heroin Trafficking and Possessing Firearm

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to more than 15 years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess heroin and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

“Drug traffickers in possession of firearms pose a significant threat to our communities,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Investigating and prosecuting these cases remains a top priority in the Eastern District. We would not have been able to achieve this result without the cooperation of our local and federal law enforcement partners. My thanks to Homeland Security Investigations Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Police Department for their outstanding work on this case.”

According to court documents, in June 2016, law enforcement learned that a person identified in court filings as S.D., was supplying heroin to an unidentified suspect with a (757) area code telephone number. Homeland Security Investigations Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) identified the local suspect as Antonio Jerome Johnson, 37, of Virginia Beach. On October 20, 2016, HSI-Norfolk and VBPD observed S.D. enter Johnson’s residence in Virginia Beach. The next day, HSI-Norfolk and VBPD executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence and seized nearly 800 grams of heroin, approximately $240,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, a bill money counter, digital scales, and a kilogram press. Johnson was a convicted felon at the time of this incident and was prohibited from possessing any firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-17.