GAINESVILLE, Fla. (CBS12) — A federal jury has convicted a Gainesville man on charges of possessing a machine gun in connection with drug trafficking.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Florida said that law enforcement from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department began probing the Majestic Oaks apartments after they received reports of Lagarius Johnson and others being armed with a machine gun.
The report states that officers located Johnson, 20, and attempted to approach him, at which point, he spun around and appeared to point a gun at them.
Officers identified themselves, prompting Johnson to flee on foot, throwing a cellphone, a backpack, and a pistol as he ran, per the report.
When officials opened Johnson’s ditched backpack, they noted finding a “distribution quantity” of marijuana, empty baggies, and a digital scale. They also discovered that the pistol Johnson threw away had been modified with a device that turned it into a fully automatic machine gun.
After a brief pursuit, officers apprehended Johnson with the help of a police K-9, according to the DOJ.
See also: Hillsborough County attorney accused of possessing child pornography
According to officials, further investigation included a search of Johnson’s cellphone and social media accounts, revealing numerous photos of him with weapons, large sums of cash, and advertisements for selling marijuana, some of which were posted on the day he was arrested.
Furthermore, the Attorney’s Office stated that Johnson was previously convicted on April 16 for charges related to marijuana distribution, unlawful firearm possession, and machine gun possession. In addition to his federal convictions, Johnson faces separate charges of attempted first-degree murder involving a machine gun in state court, where he has pleaded not guilty.
His sentencing for these charges is set for August 12 at 10 a.m.
Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day’s top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can’t miss video.
