St. Joe Heroin Dealer Sentenced In Federal Court

A St. Joseph man was sentenced last week to more than a decade in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin

Thursday U.S. District Judge Greg Kays sentenced 50-year-old St. Joseph resident Harvey E. Johnson to 12 years in federal prison without parole for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than two kilograms of heroin. Johnson was also ordered to forfeit to the government $43,200, which represents the proceeds of the illegal drug trafficking.

On August 4, 2021, Johnson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in the St. Joseph area from September 1, 2019, to March 26, 2021.

According to court documents, Johnson is responsible for distributing at least 2.835 kilograms of heroin, which is over 28,000 potentially lethal, 0.1-gram “doses” of the drug.

Johnson was on state parole following his conviction on drug charges during his involvement in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

One co-defendant, 50-year-old Roderick A. Hughes, was sentenced on October 10, 2023, to 17 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

A second co-defendant, 43-year-old St. Joseph resident Franklin T. Hicks Jr., also known as “Frankie”, pleaded guilty on May 31, 2022, to his role in the conspiracy and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1, 2023.