TALLAHASSEE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL FIREARM AND DRUG TRAFFICKING OFFENSES

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Triston Chacoey Aric Johnson, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful user of controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone and marijuana, possession of a short-barreled rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of ammunition by an unlawful user of controlled substances. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said, "I applaud the excellent coordination of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners in their detection and investigation of these crimes. My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting armed drug traffickers, and I deeply appreciate the outstanding work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep drugs off our streets."

Court documents reflect that Johnson pleaded guilty to incidents from two separate dates. On October 1, 2023, Johnson fled on foot from a Florida A&M University (FAMU) police officer. Surveillance video showed Johnson hide a purple bag near a car. The next morning a FAMU employee reported finding a firearm and a purple bag. The purple bag contained a second firearm, marijuana packaged for sale, mushrooms, a digital scale with marijuana residue, and Johnson's credit and debit cards.

On July 17, 2024, Johnson got into a verbal argument with another individual who was returning home in the early morning hours. Johnson and the other individual were both armed. Johnson shot the other individual, striking him in the heart. The other individual fired back, accidentally striking his girlfriend multiple times as Johnson fled.

Following the homicide, the Tallahassee Police Department executed a search warrant at Johnson's apartment, finding loose oxycodone pills, approximately 1.4 pounds of marijuana, over 25 empty one-pound vacuum seal bags with marijuana residue, various types of ammunition, and a short-barreled rifle which had been previously stolen from a Leon County Sheriff's Office vehicle.

Johnson faces at least 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment.

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FAMU Department of Campus Safety and Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 17, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney's Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.