DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Maryland

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Rod J. Rosenstein
, United States Attorney
Contact: Vickie E. LeDuc

Glen Burnie Felon Exiled to Over 12 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug Charges

Was on Federal Supervised Release at the Time He Possessed Drugs and a Gun

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Avaun Johnson, age 29, of Glen Burnie, today to 151 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of a gun.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; Annapolis Police Chief Michael A. Pristoop; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams.

According to his plea agreement, on February 7, 2014, law enforcement officers went to an apartment in Glen Burnie to execute a state arrest warrant for Johnson, when they saw him walking out of the apartment building with a trash bag. Johnson saw the police and fled back into the building, dropping the bag inside.

Johnson was arrested and a search warrant was executed at his apartment. Officers seized 62 grams of heroin, 21 grams of methylone, drug packaging paraphernalia, a semiautomatic firearm, an ammunition cartridge and about $3,700. Prior to February 7, 2014 Johnson had been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Johnson was also on federal supervised release for a drug trafficking conviction and thus, his possession of the firearm and drugs violated the conditions of his release.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, DEA, Anne Arundel Police Department, Annapolis Police Department and Anne Arundel City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Shelly S. Glenn, on detail from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore Field Division