Felon Who Stole and Resold Firearm Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced James Matthew Johnson (32, Summerfield) to 40 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson had pleaded guilty on August 10, 2020.
According to court records, Johnson was a suspect in a case involving a firearm stolen from a vehicle on May 7, 2020. On May 18, 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home and recovered heroin and other firearms belonging to the occupants. Johnson, who is a convicted felon, admitted to stealing and reselling the firearm to another person to pay for drugs. Upon further investigation, deputies recovered the firearm—a Taurus model G3 9mm pistol—that Johnson had illegally transferred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This is another case prosecuted as part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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