INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man on probation was sentenced to prison after advertising guns and drugs for sale on his Instagram page, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana.
William Johnson, 21, of Indianapolis has been sentenced to exactly 105 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm.
“The days of drug deals solely occurring on street corners are long gone. Today, fentanyl traffickers like this defendant can use social media to push illegal guns and poison into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers.
On September 30, 2022 officials executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home. During the search they located 100 blue fentanyl pills, 112 grams of marijuana, thousands of dollars, a Glock, a Glock gun box containing magazines, a handgun and other drugs.
Johnson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions. Johnson has four prior felony convictions, each involving the unlawful possession of firearms.
“Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Hoosiers aged 18-45, and gun violence is the leading killer of American children and teens. The federal prison sentence imposed today should send a stark warning to anyone who believes that social media is a safe space to commit crimes: we are watching, we will find you, and we will hold you accountable,” said Myers.
