A Newark man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute over a kilogram of heroin, 150 grams of fentanyl, and 240 grams of crack cocaine as well as possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Officials say Ahmad Johnson, a/k/a “OC,” 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, 28 grams of cocaine base, and 40 grams of fentanyl, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From September 2016 through June 2017, Johnson and other members of the Johnson Drug Trafficking Organization engaged in a heroin distribution conspiracy that operated in and around Newark.
Through the authorized interception of telephone calls and text messages, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative means, law enforcement officers learned that Johnson was a leader of the conspiracy and was responsible for obtaining wholesale amounts of narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, and processing and packaging the narcotics for sale in the Newark area.
Authorities say at times, after the narcotics were processed and packaged for sale, Johnson found users to “test” the narcotics to evaluate the quality, potency, and danger for broader distribution. After the narcotics were tested, members of the Johnson DTO sold the narcotics to other distributors and to users.