Dothan Man on Supervised Release from Previous Drug Convictions Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Prison for New Cocaine and Marijuana Charges

            Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, August 20, 2020, Rasheed Demond Johnson, a 38-year-old from Dothan, Alabama, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Johnson was also ordered to serve six years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

            According to court records, Johnson was on federal supervised release for a previous drug trafficking conviction when law enforcement began to suspect that he had returned to his old ways. According to testimony during his sentencing hearing, in March of 2017, U.S. Postal Inspectors discovered that two packages from Hong Kong containing a synthetic opioid used in making “Spice” were being mailed to addresses associated with Johnson. Spice is an illegal drug that consists of a mixture of plant material sprayed with synthetic chemicals. Over the next year, law enforcement used various investigative methods, including the controlled purchase of drugs from Johnson, to confirm his involvement in illegal activity. Then, on March 23, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Johnson’s residence and his suspected drug “stash house” where they found cocaine and marijuana. They also found spray bottles that were consistent with those used to make Spice.

            Based upon the March 2018 search, Johnson’s federal supervised release was revoked and, as a result, on September 6, 2019, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison. This two-year sentence will run consecutive to the 151 months he received for his most recent federal drug convictions for a total of 175 months in prison. In pronouncing the sentence on Thursday, the judge determined that Johnson qualified as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines based on his substantial criminal history. This can significantly increase the potential sentence for a defendant.

            The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Davidson prosecuted the case.