A Baltimore man accused of shooting a teenager in the neck shortly before midnight in Northeast Baltimore this March is set to serve three years behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on Nov. 13.
Derrick Johnson, 35, initially faced a 28-count indictment in connection to the non-fatal shooting incident, which occurred March 25 on the 900 block of Linwood Avenue. The victim, who was 19 years old at the time, was shot while sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle that was occupied by five other people, including a minor girl. The child and the remaining four passengers sustained minor injuries from broken glass, and the victim was listed in stable condition by hospital staff.
Johnson was and remains prohibited from possessing a firearm due to three prior felony convictions — a narcotics charge from July 11, 2011; a robbery charge from Jan. 30, 2012; and a second-degree assault charge from April 4, 2017.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams agreed to a lesser sentence of 15 years, suspending all but three. Upon release, Johnson will be required to register with the Maryland Gun Offender Registry. The maximum penalty in Maryland for firearm possession as a prohibited person is 15 years with five years of supervised probation.
In exchange for Johnson’s plea, the prosecution agreed to drop his remaining 27 charges. After discussion with his defense attorney, Augustine Okeke, Johnson waived his right of allocution, choosing not to address the court.
The hearing was postponed the previous day due to a lack of jurors to form a 12-person panel.
