Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Cleveland man, Lamont Johnson, 43, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison for distributing controlled substances while on parole for a previous offense. U.S. District Judge John R. Adams handed down the sentence after Johnson pleaded guilty last October to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Johnson was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The court applied a significant sentencing enhancement due to Johnson’s status as a career offender. His criminal record includes drug trafficking convictions from 2022 and 2012 and dates back to 2001. He has repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of supervised release after prior incarcerations.
According to court documents, agents observed suspected drug activity involving Johnson at a gas station on East 55th Street in Cleveland on November 15, 2023. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on the black Mercedes SUV he was driving, Johnson initially reversed but then fled on foot before being apprehended.
Agents found a loaded Glock 9 mm pistol in plain view on the driver’s seat of the vehicle, cash on the center console, and a clear plastic bag containing suspected drugs. Another bag believed to contain marijuana was found at the gas station where Johnson ran from authorities. A search of the vehicle uncovered multiple baggies with powdery substances later confirmed by lab analysis as fentanyl, xylazine, and cocaine. Investigators also recovered sandwich bags, a digital scale, and $53 in cash.
The case was investigated by agents from the Ohio Investigative Unit assigned as Task Force Officers to the ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center. These officers participate in statewide violent crime reduction initiatives that focus on high-crime areas and target armed offenders and drug traffickers.
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Zarzycki prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
