Johnson Pleads Guilty to Selling Drugs within 1,000 Feet of a Church

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that Adell Johnson pleaded guilty during trial to two counts of Sale, Manufacture, Deliver Cocaine within 1,000 Feet of a Church. Johnson faces up to 60 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Anthony Salem will sentence Johnson during a future hearing.

On May 11, 2023, detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were undercover when they contacted Johnson at a Lem Turner Road gas station. One undercover officer discussed drugs with Johnson, and Johnson told him he sells crack cocaine. Johnson had the officers follow him to a different location to purchase the drugs. At the second location, the undercover officer gave Johnson JSO funds to purchase the crack cocaine. Johnson sold the drugs to the undercover officer and gave him his phone number for future drug deals. The entire interaction was recorded. The undercover officers bought another $40 of crack cocaine from Johnson the next day.

On May 13, 2023, Johnson was pulled over for a traffic violation and was taken into custody for an arrest warrant from Clayton County Sheriff’s Office for Violation of Probation – Larceny. While Johnson was in custody on the out-of-state arrest warrant, he was also charged with the above crimes. The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Lee Wingard and Maggie Sloan.