From The US Department of Justice - London, Ky. -
A Nashville man was convicted on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in London, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The jury convicted Marlon Johnson following a three-day trial and about two hours of deliberations.
According to evidence at trial, on November 18, 2019, Johnson led law enforcement officers with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department on a high-speed chase, through residential streets in Corbin, before crashing into a gate and parked car. Johnson then fled on foot, into a cemetery, where he was ultimately apprehended. During a search of his vehicle, law enforcement located more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Marlon Johnson was indicted on December 20, 2018, following an investigation by the DEA, Knox County Sheriff’s Department, and Operation UNITE.
Johnson will appear for sentencing on November 29, 2022. He faces from 15 years to life in federal prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Mike Smith of the Knox County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
This case was 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 Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.