David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a Wilmington man was sentenced on September 7, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison for possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Akil Johnson, 26, was arrested by Wilmington Police Department’s (“WPD”) Safe Streets Task Force following an investigation that led to the discovery of guns and drugs in his house. After surveillance officers saw Johnson selling drugs outside his home, WPD obtained and executed a search warrant for the property.
In Mr. Johnson’s bedroom closet, officers found two loaded handguns, a black Glock 27 and a loaded silver and black Bersa; 33 grams of cocaine; 234 baggies containing a fentanyl and tramadol mixture, weighing about 14 grams; and 250 grams of marijuana. The guns were found together inside of a cloth laundry bag within the closet. Elsewhere in the bedroom, officers found another 500 grams of marijuana, a loaded extended magazine, and drug paraphernalia, including two black digital scales and an Amazon package containing 169 small zip lock bags filled with suspected heroin.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentence: “The proliferation of illegal firearms is devasting our neighborhoods. Firearms are particularly dangerous when they are in the hands of illicit drug dealers. I commend WPD’s Safe Streets Task Force for working to keep our communities safe.”
“This sentencing is another example of our unrelenting efforts to hold offenders accountable for illegal firearm possession,” said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy. “We continue to work closely with our federal partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the strongest possible penalties for gun crimes that threaten public safety in our community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Source: USDOJ
