Kamari Johnson, a 26-year-old resident of Orangeburg, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system.
According to evidence from the investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety suspected Johnson was involved in selling cocaine locally. On May 13, 2024, law enforcement used a confidential informant to arrange a purchase from Johnson that included both a firearm and a small quantity of cocaine. Johnson agreed to the transaction and sold both items to the informant.
Johnson was legally barred from possessing firearms due to previous convictions for burglary and for pointing and presenting a firearm.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis handed down the sentence.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates efforts among law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. In May 2021, the Department implemented an updated strategy for PSN focusing on building trust within communities, supporting organizations aimed at preventing violence before it occurs, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking outcomes.
The ATF and Orangeburg Department of Public Safety investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted it.
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