Jackson Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

Jackson, Mississippi – A Jackson man was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration.   

According to court documents, in 2017, DEA agents began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Chey Johnson, 49, of Jackson, Mississippi, and other affiliated drug traffickers in central Mississippi.  Throughout the investigation, agents seized approximately $585,000.00 in cash and 12 kilograms of cocaine. Johnson was indicted as a part of the trafficking organization and pleaded guilty as a result.

In addition to the prison sentence, Johnson was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Deadly Dose,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the central Mississippi area. “Deadly Dose” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson Police Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Internal Revenue Service.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.