Kamari Johnson, a 26-year-old resident of Orangeburg, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm. The sentencing follows an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety.
Authorities suspected Johnson was involved in selling cocaine in the area. On May 13, 2024, law enforcement used a confidential informant to set up a transaction with Johnson for both a firearm and cocaine. Johnson sold the informant a gun along with a small quantity of cocaine.
Due to previous convictions for burglary and pointing and presenting a firearm, Johnson was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis handed down the sentence. In addition to his prison term, Johnson will serve three years of court-ordered supervision after release. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The Department of Justice updated its strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021 to emphasize building community trust, supporting organizations that prevent violence, focusing enforcement efforts strategically, and tracking outcomes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
