Two Indicted for Drug and Firearm Offenses as Part of Operation PEACE in Vallejo
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Calvin James Smith, 33, and Marques Julius Johnson, 39, of Sacramento, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon announced.
Johnson and Smith are charged with possession with the intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. Smith is also charged with possession of ammunition after being convicted of a domestic violence offense, and Johnson is charged with three additional counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, undercover operatives conducted multiple purchases of counterfeit MDMA tablets containing methamphetamine from Johnson in Vallejo and Sacramento. On Dec. 9, 2020, Johnson and Smith were arrested together during an undercover purchase in Vallejo and found to be in possession of 6,000 methamphetamine tablets and a loaded pistol. Smith was also found carrying an AR-15 rifle that was loaded with a high-capacity magazine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Nelsen is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Johnson and Smith face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
