Two men involved in a shooting at a restaurant in Arlington have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
James Edward Johnson, 34, and Leroy Harold White, Jr., 53, were charged via criminal complaint in August 2022 and indicted the following month. Mr. White plead guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in October 2022; Mr. Johnson plead guilty to the same charge two weeks later. They were sentenced on Friday to 10 years each in federal prison.
According to court documents, Mr. Johnson and another patron got into a physical altercation with Mr. White and another security guard at JJ’s Corner Lounge in Arlington just before midnight on July 29, 2022.
During the altercation, Mr. White fired his a Smith & Wesson pistol, missing the unidentified patron involved in the altercation. In response, Mr. Johnson fired his Ruger at a random group of citizens that had just entered the business, hitting a victim in their right foot.
Mr. White then approached Mr. Johnson from behind, striking him in the head with his hand. Mr. Johnson whirled around and fired at Mr. White, striking him two times in the front of his body armor and one time in his left arm.
In plea papers, both men admitted that they were previously convicted felons and thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
“ATF is proud of our long standing relationship with the Arlington Police Department. Chief Jones is a national leader amongst law enforcement in the fight against firearms violence. His vision to create the NIBIN Engagement Team (NET) led us to these convictions. Mr. Johnson and Mr. White will now have ten years to think about carrying guns illegally in Arlington, Texas. Gun crime will always equal hard time,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and Arlington Police Department’s Violent Crime United conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl prosecuted the case.
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