U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh | U.S. Department of Justice
Christopher "CJ" Johnson, a 47-year-old resident of Bristol, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for leading a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy across southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee. This sentence will commence after his release from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Johnson had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In 2020, he and Noah Bryan Horn were apprehended in Georgia with four kilograms of methamphetamine, two pistols, and heroin. Consequently, Johnson received a 25-year sentence in Georgia. Despite his incarceration, by mid-2022, Johnson initiated another drug trafficking operation from within the prison using a contraband cell phone.
He coordinated the movement of drugs across state lines by communicating with associates outside the prison. These co-conspirators would travel to Georgia to collect methamphetamine from sources designated by Johnson and send payments via CashApp or other methods before distributing the drugs in southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee. The conspiracy also involved fentanyl and ecstasy deliveries.
At one stage, Johnson controlled a significant portion of the methamphetamine market in both Bristol areas—Virginia and Tennessee.
Several individuals from Virginia and Tennessee have already pleaded guilty as part of this conspiracy: Noah Bryan Horn, Nicholas Alexander Courtney, Michael Paul Brown, Jeremy Wayne Maxfield, Kenneth Lee Trivette, Olivia Abigail Coleman, Kayla Cheyanne Winebarger, Sheenah Amber Rogers, Joey Dean Webb, Diamond Snow Booher, Amber Leigh Phipps, Morgan Paige Perry, Eric Dale Whisman, Kedrick Lee Dingus, Christopher Michael Sullivan, Woodrow America Ritchie, Ashley Lynn Young, Patricia Ann Smoot, and Tabitha Nichole Satterfield.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Washington Division.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco; Firearms and Explosives; Virginia State Police; Washington County Sheriff's Office; Smyth County Sheriff's Office; Bristol (Virginia) Police Department; alongside law enforcement agencies in Georgia and Tennessee such as Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force as well as the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Whit Pierce are handling the prosecution of this case.
