EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)), published as received.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In a U.S. District courtroom on Monday, a federal judge sentenced a Cahokia Heights man to 120 months in prison after he admitted to distributing methamphetamine in 2021.

Carlos M. Johnson, 49, received a concurrent sentence of 87 months’ imprisonment for a separate possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charge, and another concurrent sentence of 87 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was fined $300 and must also pay $300 in special assessments. Following his release from federal prison, Johnson must complete five years of supervised release.

“Drug dealers selling harmful and dangerously addictive drugs gamble with their freedom by the decade,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Federal law enforcement agents will work alongside state and local partners to pursue drug distributors wherever they are located and bring them to justice.”

According to court documents, Johnson’s offenses occurred in January 2021. Based on evidence of drug dealing activity, federal agents executed a search warrant of Johnson’s home. As a result, federal agents seized six different kinds of controlled substances and multiple firearms from Johnson’s home.

A federal grand jury indicted Johnson on March 22, 2022, for distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and felon in possession of a firearm. Johnson pled guilty on Dec. 1, 2022.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Trippi prosecuted the case.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.