Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging D.K. Johnson (80, Jacksonville) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, in 1992, Johnson was federally convicted of attempted murder, assault with attempt to commit murder, assault causing serious bodily harm, and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. According to court documents, Johnson committed these crimes against his coworkers at the time.

During the past two years Johnson has been employed by a company in Jacksonville. He was terminated at the end of January 2020, at which time he began making threats toward his former employer. The former employer knew that Johnson was a convicted felon and had accompanied Johnson to a gun show, where Johnson had purchased a Sig Sauer pistol in a transaction not requiring a background check.

On February 5, 2020, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home. Agents recovered ammunition from inside the residence, and several firearms from a shed on the property, including a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol. Johnson was arrested at the scene.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

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