U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Antoine Johnson, a 45-year-old resident of Indialantic, to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson was found guilty on August 8, 2024.
The evidence presented at trial indicated that on May 9, 2023, Johnson was stopped for violating a Florida traffic law and found with a loaded firearm in his waistband. He admitted to law enforcement officers that he was aware of his status as a convicted felon and knew he should not have been carrying the weapon. A special finding by the jury revealed that Johnson had prior convictions in Florida for robbery and two sales of cocaine before being stopped by police.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Palm Bay Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between various levels of law enforcement and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, aimed at strengthening PSN with core principles such as fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.