Jacksonville, Florida - On Jan. 24, 2019, U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. sentenced Ronald Johnson (32, Jacksonville) to life in federal prison for his actions leading to the overdose death of a 23-year old woman. On October 4, 2018, a federal jury found Johnson guilty of distributing a substance containing fentanyl and methoxyacetyl fentanyl that resulted in death, carrying a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents and evidence submitted during the trial, on Sept. 14, 2017, around midnight, the victim met with Johnson and purchased what she believed to be heroin. She contacted Johnson again around 5:00 p.m. the next day and met him at his apartment where she purchased what she believed to be heroin. Johnson sold her fentanyl. The victim went home early in the morning on Sept. 16, 2017, and in the early afternoon was found dead in the bathroom, with a needle next to her. According to the medical examiner, the victim overdosed and died due to the fentanyl and methoxyacetyl fentanyl in her body.
“This verdict and sentence is an example of justice in the face of an epidemic that plagues our community," said State Attorney Melissa Nelson. “We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute these opioid-fueled overdose deaths."
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
