Co-defendant in 2020 drug trafficking case sentenced to three decades behind bars
An Alva man found guilty in a drug trafficking case, one of several arrested in 2020, will spend three decades behind bars.
Jerome Johnson, 33, was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison for criminal conspiracy — trafficking 28 grams or more of heroin.
A jury found Johnson guilty in February, in the first Narcotics Enforcement Task Force case to go to trial.
Johnson was arrested in September 2020, in Operation Block Party, a long-term investigation into local drug trafficking organizations.
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State Attorney Amira Fox created the task force in late 2019 to coordinate a circuit-wide approach and resources to dismantle organized crime, narcotics, racketeering and criminal enterprises in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.
Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked together.
Johnson, who goes by the street name "Ninja," was caught on surveillance negotiating a drug deal and selling heroin.
He's one of at least 16 arrested Sept, 2, 2020. Other defendants arrested in the investigation are awaiting trial.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Alva heroin trafficker gets 30 years in prison from 2020 bust
