A Beaumont man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for a firearms violation related to drug trafficking, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas.
Sterling Van Johnson, 43, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone handed down the 60-month sentence on July 29, 2025.
Court documents show that authorities investigating drug activity in Beaumont made several controlled purchases from Johnson. In September 2024, officers executed a search warrant at a residence where Johnson was selling drugs and recovered various narcotics along with two firearms. Johnson admitted he possessed the drugs for distribution and had the firearm as part of that activity.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James prosecuted it.
