A Gainesville man was found guilty by a federal jury of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Wednesday.
According to a Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office press release, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Michelle Spaven, announced that Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 20, of Gainesville, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The evidence at the trial demonstrated that Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies and Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers were conducting surveillance of the Majestic Oaks apartments due to reports that Johnson and other suspects were in possession of firearms, including a machine gun.
Due to his prior criminal history, Johnson was prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm. Law enforcement identified Johnson and approached him, but Johnson turned around and pointed with his hand inside his jacket pocket, making officers believe he was armed with a pistol.
Officers identified themselves and Johnson fled. Law enforcement later apprehended Johnson using a police K-9. As he ran, Johnson threw a backpack, cellphone and pistol, and officers discovered a distribution quantity of marijuana, a digital scale and empty baggies inside Johnson’s backpack.
After officers examined the Glock pistol that Johnson had, they discovered a machine gun conversion device that rendered the pistol fully automatic. Officers obtained a search warrant and reviewed material from Johnson’s cellphone, along with his social media accounts, which revealed multiple photos of Johnson posing with guns, advertising marijuana for sale and with large amounts of cash, on the day of his arrest.
On April 16, Johnson was convicted during a previous trial in the U.S. District Court on charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances and possession of a machine gun.
Sentencing for each of the firearm and drug trafficking charges is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Aug. 12 at the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville before U.S. District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Johnson also faces unrelated charges of attempted first-degree murder involving a machine gun in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Alachua County, where he has entered a plea of not guilty and is presumed innocent.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by ACSO, GPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. attorneys James A. McCain and Eric Welch prosecuted the case.