Walter Brian Johnson (Newton County Sheriff's Office)
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - A 52-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years with the first 25 to be served in prison after pleading guilty Monday to numerous drug offenses in Newton County.
Newton County drug investigation
What we know:
Walter Brian Johnson pleaded guilty Monday, just before jury selection was set to begin, to multiple drug charges. Because of the nature of the crimes, the court granted prosecutors’ request to join two separate cases for a single trial.
Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking methamphetamine and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, one count of possession of marijuana more than an ounce, and one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.
In addition to prison time, he was ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in fines and surcharges. His sentence also includes numerous special conditions, including a Fourth Amendment waiver.
Bizarre gunshot wound claim
The backstory:
The initial investigation began on June 22, 2024, when Newton County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home on Mote Road about a person with a bullet wound. Johnson's mother told deputies he had knocked on her door and claimed he had been shot.
Johnson told deputies he was exercising down the street when two people dressed in all black shot him for no reason. However, investigators found no signs of blood or shell casings in the area where he claimed the shooting happened.
Deputies later found that Johnson lived nearby in a home on Highway 162. Outside that home, law enforcement discovered blood, shell casings, and a firearm on the ground.
Inside the home, investigators located more than a kilogram of methamphetamine, other narcotics, and materials used for distributing drugs. They also found documentation proving the home belonged to Johnson.
Search warrant yields arrests
Timeline:
On Sept. 27, 2024, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Johnson was driving at a gas station in Newton County. He was found carrying multiple ounces of methamphetamine and other narcotics.
Following the traffic stop, deputies obtained a search warrant for his home on Highway 162. During the search, law enforcement found more than an ounce of methamphetamine, a large amount of cocaine, and more than an ounce of marijuana.
Newton County remaining details
What we don't know:
It is unclear how Johnson originally suffered the gunshot wound at his home in June 2024. Officials have not confirmed if anyone else was present when the firearm was discharged.
Impact on local community
What they're saying:
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney PJ Hemmann, Jr. and investigated by the Newton County Sheriff's Office.
"This case demonstrates the dangers of selling narcotics. Johnson, who has a previous conviction for multiple counts of sale of methamphetamine, was distributing dangerous drugs in our community," DA Randy McGinley said. "That not only led to a lengthy prison sentence, but it also put him in danger of losing his life. Thankfully no one else was harmed by the gun violence that Johnson's drug peddling brought to our community."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Newton County District Attorney's Office, who provided details of the investigation and sentencing via a formal release.