Violent Felon Sentenced To 88 Months In Prison For Illegal Gun

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced today that Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced DEMETRICE D. JOHNSON, age 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 88 months in prison and three years of supervised release after prison. This sentence is based on his conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

JOHNSON pled guilty in June 2014 after being indicted by a federal grand jury. In November 2013, JOHNSON was arrested by the Baton Rouge City Police after he allegedly fired a .45 caliber handgun several times into a vehicle occupied by an adult and three children. As a convicted felon, JOHNSON’s mere possession of the firearm is a federal crime. However, his use of the weapon increased his sentencing exposure, resulting in today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Green stated: “We will continue to assist and work with our federal, state, and local partners to reduce gun violence in Baton Rouge and throughout the rest of the Middle District of Louisiana. A large part of our role is the aggressive prosecution of felons who possess and use firearms in violation of federal law. Our relentless pursuit of those cases will continue.”

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Baton Rouge City Police. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.