TALLAHASSEE MAN SENTENCED TO DECADES IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG & GUN CHARGES RELATED TO SECOND-DEGREE MURDER

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Triston Chacoey Aric Johnson, a/k/a "C.J.," 21, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to multiple federal gun and drug offenses, and at sentencing was found responsible for a second-degree murder committed in Tallahassee on July 17, 2024. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "This felon was a plague on our community, flooding our streets with drugs and deadly violence, and today's sentence ensures his reign of terror is over. This was precisely the case that President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi had in mind when they launched Operation Take Back America to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward removing the perpetrators of violent crime from our communities. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute cases like this until the citizens of the Northern District of Florida get the safe, drug-free streets that they deserve."

"This was a senseless tragedy that should have never happened," said ATF Tampa Field Division's Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. "Thanks to Tallahassee Police Department, FAMU Police Department and federal prosecutors, the suspect won't be able to threaten public safety again for a long time."

Court documents reflect that Johnson was responsible for crimes stemming from incidents on two separate dates. On October 1, 2023, Johnson fled on foot from a Florida A&M University (FAMU) police officer, during which surveillance video showed Johnson hide a purple bag near a parked car. A FAMU employee reported finding a firearm and a purple bag the following morning, and the bag was found to contain a second firearm, marijuana packaged for sale, mushrooms, a digital scale with marijuana residue, and credit and debit cards belonging to Johnson.

On July 17, 2024, Johnson got into a verbal argument with another individual who was returning home in the early morning hours. The altercation escalated to physical violence when Johnson shot the other individual, fatally striking him in the heart. 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 that had been previously stolen from a Leon County Sheriff's Office vehicle.

Johnson received a sentence of 30 years in prison, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later hearing.

The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Florida A&M University Department of Campus Safety and Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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.

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 FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.