BOSTON, March 20, 2015—An convicted drug dealer was ordered held on high bail at his arraignment today after Boston Police recovered an assault rifle, 40 grams of heroin, and more than $10,000 in cash from his Dorchester home, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

DAMION JOHNSON (D.O.B. 5/17/91) was arraigned in Dorchester Municipal Court on charges of trafficking in heroin, possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance as a subsequent offense, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition.  He was also arraigned on two additional dockets – one charging distribution of a Class A substance as a subsequent offense and the other charging distribution of a Class B substance as a subsequent offense. 

According to prosecutors, Johnson has prior convictions in 2011 for two separate charges of possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance as well as distribution of a Class B substance, and distribution of a Class A substance. In light of his prior convictions, he was charged as a Level II armed career criminal.

Assistant District Attorney William Kettlewell asked that bail for Johnson be set at a total of $95,000 on the three dockets.  Judge James Coffey set bail at $50,000.

“Massachusetts is in the midst of a statewide epidemic of heroin overdoses and a rising rate of opiate-exposed newborns,” Conley said. “This evidence doesn’t suggest someone struggling with addiction: it suggests someone profiting from addiction.”

Kettlewell told the court that Boston Police conducting a drug investigation in Dorchester late Tuesday morning observed Johnson enter the rear seat of a waiting vehicle that then drove around the block to the exact location where it had previously been parked.  Johnson then exited the vehicle.

Recognizing this “ride to nowhere” as a sign of drug distribution, officers stopped the vehicle, spoke with the occupants, and recovered three plastic bags of heroin and three containing cocaine.

The following day, police observed Johnson again enter the back seat of a waiting motor vehicle and take another apparently pointless ride before exiting at the same location, prosecutors said.  Believing that they had once again witnessed a drug transaction, officers stopped the vehicle and recovered one plastic bag containing heroin.

Officers made similar observations once again yesterday, prompting officers to stop the vehicle.  The individual inside the vehicle appeared to be swallowing something when approached by police.  He was questioned and released.

At the same time, additional officers attempted to approach Johnson with the intent of placing him under arrest.  Johnson, however, fled into his Rosetter Street apartment.  Officers were allowed inside by another resident of the apartment and placed Johnson under arrest.

Officers searched the apartment and the building’s basement pursuant to a warrant and discovered a Mossberg .22 caliber assault rifle, a high-capacity magazine, 17 rounds of ammunition, approximately 42 grams of heroin, a digital scale, 14 plastic bags of marijuana, more than $10,000 in cash, and other evidence of drug distribution, prosecutors said.

Johnson was represented by Jeffrey Garland.  He will appear in the Suffolk County Gun Court on April 17.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.