Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Gun Possession

INDIANAPOLIS – Julius Johnson, 44, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on June 7, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Johnson’s storage unit as part of a drug trafficking investigation. When police went to search the storage unit, they found Johnson, who was immediately arrested. Police found $5,636 and multiple cell phones on Johnson’s person. Inside the storage unit, officers located a vehicle which contained a firearm. Johnson’s DNA was found on the gun. After further investigation, police located a bag containing 59.2 grams of fentanyl in Johnson’s underpants. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage.

Johnson has prior felony convictions in Indiana for carrying a handgun without a license, dealing in cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. These prior felony convictions prohibit Johnson from possessing a firearm.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office; and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Police Chief Randal Taylor made the announcement.

Drug Enforcement Administration and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for four years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.