LOUISVILLE, Ky. — John Johnson, known as Grand Master Jay and the leader of the "Not F—ing Around Coalition," was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison on Wednesday for assaulting and brandishing a firearm at federal task force officers, according to the Department of Justice.
What You Need To Know
- Grand Master Jay has been sentenced to 86 months in federal prison for brandishing a gun at federal officers in 2020
- Johnson was arrested and charged after demonstrating in racial justice protests in Sept. 2020
- The leader of the NFAC won't be eligible for parole
After a week-long trial in May of this year, a federal jury sitting in Louisville, convicted the 59-year-old Cincinnati native of two counts of assaulting a federal task force officer and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Johnson, on the evening of September 4, 2020, "aimed/brandished" an AR rifle at Louisville Metro Police Officers, Secret Service Agents, and federal task force officers who were on the roof of the Jefferson County Grand Jury building in downtown Louisville.
There were several protest groups in Jefferson Square Park that day protesting the death of Breonna Taylor. Officers were called to look at several heavily armed individuals on Armory Place, a street near the park.
Johnson was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Johnson could've faced up to 20 years in federal prison.