HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Johnson, age 52, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 20, 2020, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to 230 months’ imprisonment for his convictions on Hobbs Act robbery and firearms convictions.
According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Johnson and his co-conspirator robbed and shot the victim in the head on Girard Avenue, York, on January 9, 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered the gun used to shoot the victim, a stolen Smith and Wesson 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol, from Johnson’s co-conspirator during her arrest on January 13, 2016. Johnson was convicted on all charges after a two-day jury trial in May 2019.
Testimony established that the victim remained in a comatose state for at least four months following the shooting. The victim required three brain surgeries and other life-saving medical interventions to repair the damage caused by Johnson and his co-conspirator.
Based on Johnson’s conviction for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, Johnson was sentenced to an enhanced penalty requiring a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, which was ordered to be served consecutively to the 110 month sentence imposed for the Hobbs Act robbery conviction. Judge Rambo ordered that the federal sentence will be served after any other sentence imposed by the York County Court of Common Pleas on several charges against Johnson that are still pending there.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the York City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe prosecuted the case.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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