Gainesville man found guilty of federal charge of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime
Press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 20, of Gainesville, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The guilty verdict was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence at trial demonstrated that officers from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department were conducting surveillance of the Majestic Oaks apartments due to reports that Johnson and others were in possession of firearms, including a machine gun. Johnson was prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm due to prior criminal history. Officers identified Johnson and tried to approach him, but Johnson spun around and pointed with his hand inside his jacket pocket, making officers believe he was armed with a pistol. As officers identified themselves as police, Johnson ran. Officers were able to apprehend Johnson with a police canine. As Johnson fled, he threw a cell phone, backpack, and pistol. Officers discovered a distribution-quantity of marijuana, empty baggies, and a digital scale in Johnson’s backpack. Examination of the Glock pistol discarded by Johnson revealed a machine gun conversion device, rendering the pistol fully automatic. Officers obtained search warrants and reviewed material from Johnson’s cell phone, as well as his social media accounts, and found dozens of pictures of Johnson posing with guns, large amounts of cash, and advertising marijuana for sale, including on the day of his arrest.
Johnson was convicted during a previous trial on April 16, 2025, in United States District Court for the charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, and possession of a machine gun.
Sentencing for each of the firearm and drug trafficking charges is scheduled for August 12, 2025, at 10:00 am. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Johnson also faces unrelated charges of attempted first-degree murder involving a machine gun in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Alachua County, where he has entered a plea of not guilty and is presumed innocent. (Click here for Alachua Chronicle’s article on that incident.)
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric Welch prosecuted the case.
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).
Buddy should do fed time for that hair alone.
@ICE WE MAY HAVE ONE HERE!!
I was born in Chicago. My number is 352-292-6826 if you want to discuss further.
Mr. Johnson needs to be incarcerated for a very long time.
Federal conviction….he will do a day for a day.
He’s so stupid it’s comical. You don’t pose with your weapons when you’re a felon on Facebook. Lol. Too many snitches out there. He should of had his brain checked as part of his defense. Too late now. Bye, bye tard.
Thank God the Feds are in charge in this case, at least. If it were a local court case he’d be groomed for decades by the ACLUSPLCDNC 💩🤡👹👿👺
Glad to see another 💩 flushed down the 🚽
Notha brotha with a switch. How are they so readily available in the hood? Like crack in the 80s. 🤔
Thank God we is gonna get GRU back so that we can build the Chuckie Cheese Chestnut football arena so that these fellas gots something to do. Cmon November.
Yikes! Looks like a bunch of turds coming out of his head…..probably indicating what’s in it?
another one of our youths with no guidance growing up in the projects made by the government to control population put arec center in all these sub divisions give them something to do its sad no reform just bars and probation failure.
We gave them plenty of parks and they use them for illegal gatherings, loitering, and violence. The idea that violence can be prevented by basketball courts and rec centers is childish and moronic.
It’s not the government’s fault that people from the projects make bad decisions. At some point, the black community will need to take responsibility for ITSELF! Too many grandmothers trying to raise teenage boys. Pastors and football coaches can only exercise so much influence over young teens. Fathers and men need to step up and take responsibility rather than father children who don’t have any male influence. The government can’t fix anything – get to work on your own people!
Parents are responsible for raising their own children…not taxpayers.