A Trenton man was sentenced to 168 months in prison following his guilty plea to charges of assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.
Jabree Johnson, a 30-year-old resident of Trenton, New Jersey, admitted guilt before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to a three-count indictment. The charges included assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, armed robbery of a person with custody of federal property, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The events leading to Johnson's arrest occurred on March 22, 2021, during a federal investigation into firearms trafficking in Trenton and Hamilton, New Jersey. An undercover federal agent had arranged to purchase firearms from Johnson as part of the investigation. At the transaction site, Johnson handed a firearm to the agent, which was inspected and returned. Johnson then used the loaded weapon to rob the agent of cash set aside for the purchase. He ordered the agent out of the vehicle at gunpoint and a shootout ensued, leading to Johnson's identification and arrest at a local hospital.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Shipp imposed five years of supervised release on Johnson and ordered the forfeiture of the firearm used in his crimes.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba commended the coordination and efforts of several law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Trenton Police Department, the Hamilton Township Police Division, the New Jersey State Police, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, which led to the sentencing.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew from the Criminal Division in Trenton. Johnson was represented by defense counsel Mark Catanzaro, Esq.
