Jacksonville, Arkansas – A Jacksonville man with a lengthy criminal record has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after police discovered a loaded firearm next to a three-year-old child during a stolen vehicle investigation. Demarius Chamon Johnson, 35, was sentenced to 204 months in prison on a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller on May 7, 2025.
Stolen Car Investigation Leads to Shocking Discovery
The case began on September 17, 2021, when North Little Rock Police officers located a stolen vehicle from El Dorado parked at the Fairview Inn. After reviewing hotel surveillance footage, officers saw someone park the stolen car and enter a second-floor room.
When police approached the open door of that room, they saw Johnson standing by the entrance. Upon entering, officers were alarmed to find a Colt Commander .45 caliber pistol lying next to a three-year-old child on one of the beds. The gun had one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine. The firearm was later confirmed to have been reported stolen out of Little Rock.
Johnson was initially detained in connection with the stolen vehicle, but during his arrest, he took responsibility for the gun, stating, “that gun’s mine, it belongs to me.”
Convicted Felon Labeled an Armed Career Criminal
Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2023, and later pleaded guilty to the firearm possession charge on January 24, 2025. Due to his criminal background, Johnson was categorized as an armed career criminal, a designation reserved for repeat offenders with multiple violent or drug-related felonies.
His criminal history includes residential burglary, attempted residential burglary, and multiple convictions for felony drug possession and distribution. Judge Miller also sentenced Johnson to three years of supervised release after his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Jegley.
