Myrtle Beach Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison on Drug Charge

Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney A. Lance Crick announced today that Shawntavius Ramone Johnson, 26, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on September 26, 2018, officers with the Horry County Police Department were dispatched to a location in Surfside Beach in reference to a tip that Johnson was at a residence and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.  The tip also indicated Johnson had drugs at the location.  When officers arrived, Johnson was taken into custody.  A search of the location revealed cocaine, cocaine base (“crack” cocaine), and methamphetamine, as well as body armor, .40 caliber Glock magazines, ammunition, a scale, and a clown mask.    

United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., of Spartanburg, sentenced Johnson to 145 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Myrtle Beach Police Department, and the Horry County Police Department. 

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.

Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case.

#####

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.