Judge sentences St. Louis man for maintaining a drug house

 ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Farraad Johnson, 46, of St. Louis, Missouri, to a 36-month term of imprisonment on Wednesday.  Johnson pleaded guilty in March to maintaining a drug-involved premises.

Johnson admitted leasing, maintaining, and controlling a residence in the 1100 block of Edlor Drive in St. Louis so that drug dealers could store their cocaine (intended for distribution), firearms, and other drug trafficking-related items inside that residence.

As part of an extensive investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy involving Adrian Lemons and other co-defendants, investigators executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence on July 20, 2016. Investigators seized three hydraulic presses, two digital scales, four firearms, ammunition, gun boxes, multiple cellphones, a lock box containing 900 grams of cocaine, a bag containing 20 grams of cocaine, two blenders, Quinine (sometimes used to dilute drugs intended for sale), and other drug trafficking-related paraphernalia.  

“This prosecution and sentence of imprisonment make it clear that if you choose to assist individuals who are selling drugs and/or causing violence within our community, you will be prosecuted, convicted, and sent to federal prison,” said United States Attorney Sayler Fleming following Wednesday’s sentencing.

Johnson is one of 34 defendants named in federal indictments first filed in 2015 involving a variety of charges, including drug trafficking and homicide-related offenses. Thirty-three of the 34 defendants charged during this investigation have been convicted. One co-defendant’s case remains pending.  While that case remains pending, that co-defendant is presumed innocent and all charges that co-defendant presently faces are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of his guilt.  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department; the Kennett, Missouri Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.