New Orleans Man Sentenced to over 17 Years Imprisonment on Firearms Charge

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KERMERIC JOHNSON, age 34, of New Orleans, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced JOHNSON to 215 months of incarceration, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to court documents, in October 2015, JOHNSON received a jail phone call from a local heroin dealer and co-conspirator, KEITH FOSTER, wherein FOSTER informed JOHNSON that a confidential informant had caused him and a second co-conspirator to be arrested. Foster then told JOHNSON where to locate a firearm and instructed JOHNSON to “take care” of the informant. JOHNSON agreed to do so and in subsequent jail calls, stated that he was attempting to locate the informant.

On October 29, 2015, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies surveilled JOHNSON’s residence, and observed JOHNSON and an unknown male, exit the residence. Deputies observed JOHNSON carrying two items, one wrapped in a blue shirt, and the other in a red blanket. JOHNSON placed both items inside the trunk of a vehicle before he and the other male drove away. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and obtained a search warrant for the vehicle. In the trunk of the vehicle, deputies found a Smith and Wesson, 9mm caliber semi-automatic handgun wrapped in the shirt and a Marlin Model Glenfield 65, .22 caliber rifle, wrapped in the blanket.

FOSTER pled guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24, 2017.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the ATF New Orleans Division Office, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nolan D. Paige is in charge of the prosecution.