Investigation into organized crime in Northern California sees last of 27 defendants admit guilt

A Woodland man pleaded guilty to the illegal sale of a firearm to a felon and also to being a felon in possession of a firearm, capping prosecutions related to a federal investigation into organized crime in that city.

Justin Wade Johnson, 38, was the 27th and final defendant to plead guilty after being arrested on narcotics and weapons-related charges in February 2018 as part of Operation Silent Night. He entered his plea Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced in a Thursday news release.

The multi-agency investigation began in spring 2016 and uncovered organized criminal activity in Woodland with ties to criminal organizations in California’s jail and prison system, prosecutors said.

The criminal organizations were centered in Yolo County, according to prosecutors, but also “negatively impacted” Sacramento, Sutter, Colusa, Yuba, Del Norte, Solano, Fresno, Santa Clara and Siskiyou counties.

Previously convicted of felony assault and possession charges, Johnson is prohibited from possessing any firearm, prosecutors said.

Johnson sold an AR-15 to a convicted felon, knowing the man was a felon, in October 2017, according to the news release. Later that month, law enforcement searched Johnson’s storage unit in Woodland and recovered a shotgun, a rifle and four handguns.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine at a hearing on Feb. 23.