DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Middle District of Florida

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Roger B. Handberg
, United States Attorney

Bradenton Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years’ Imprisonment for Possessing Ten Firearms

TAMPA, Fla — U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Terrence Johnson, Jr., 28, of Bradenton, to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson had pleaded guilty on June 26.

According to court documents, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting near 31st Avenue East in Bradenton and discovered several spent cartridge casings in the roadway in front of a residence where Johnson resided. There were also several bullet holes in a window of the home facing the street. During a search of the residence, the deputies discovered spent cartridge casings on the floor in the front room of the home, narcotics, approximately $27,000 in cash and equipment for a digital video recording (DVR) system.  

The deputies also searched a sedan that was parked in the driveway of the residence. Inside the vehicle’s trunk, the deputies located 10 firearms, including an AK-style 7.62 mm caliber “MAK90 Sporter” Norinco rifle. Recovered footage from the contents of the DVR system showed that on the morning of February 19, Johnson exited the residence carrying the above-described Norinco rifle which he placed inside the trunk of his sedan. During an interview with ATF agents, Johnson confessed to possessing the rifle as a convicted felon. Johnson identified himself as holding the same rifle as depicted in a screenshot taken from the DVR on the same date.

This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha J. Newman.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

###

Tampa Field Division