Ryan Johnson, 22, was sentenced on November 5, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to 103 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He will also pay a $400 special assessment fee. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, tramadol, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Court documents show that on September 1, 2023, Johnson was arrested while driving a stolen vehicle at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans. Police ordered him out of the car and found a Glock Model 23 under his seat along with marijuana and tapentadol inside the vehicle. After being released on bond, Johnson continued selling marijuana and tapentadol. In March 2024, he was seen driving another stolen car. On March 28, 2024, law enforcement searched his residence and recovered firearms belonging to both Johnson and his brother Bryan Turner, who is also a co-defendant. Officers also found Johnson’s backpack containing marijuana, tapentadol, a face mask, gloves, and burglary tools.
"This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman from the Violent Crime Unit prosecuted the case.
