11.8.11 Johnson Sentenced to 20 Years for Possessing, Intending to Distribute Heroin
November 8, 2011 -- Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Emanuel Brown sentenced Keisha Johnson today to 20 years in prison, suspend all but five years without the possibility of parole, followed by five years of supervised probation for possessing and intending to distribute a large amount of heroin three years ago.
On September 5, 2008, city police officers attempted to stop a car impeding traffic in the 400 block of North Warwick Avenue, but the car's driver sped off. The passenger in a second idling car located in the same area exited and asked the police about what had just transpired. Police responded by asking the man about the status of the car he had just exited. The man made a phone call and the second car also fled the scene.
Both vehicles were eventually stopped. The first was driven by Keisha Johnson's brother, who was operating the car on a suspended license. Keisha Johnson was driving the second. As officers approached, they detected the strong odor of heroin emanating from her vehicle. A search yielded 201 grams of heroin, the street value of which is roughly $65,000, as well as five bags of marijuana.
In April 2010, Keisha Johnson was convicted of possessing a large amount of heroin, possessing the heroin with the intent to distribute it, and possessing marijuana. She appealed to the Court of Special Appeals, which upheld the conviction in May 2011. Johnson, 34, then failed to appear at her first sentencing hearing, spurring the issuance of a bench warrant.