Man Who Listed Guns, Drugs For Sale on Instagram Gets Nearly 10 Years in Prison

William Johnson, a 21-year-old man from Indianapolis, received a federal prison sentence for advertising guns and drugs on his Instagram page, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana.

Johnson was sentenced to 105 months, almost 9 years, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal firearm possession.

Court documents revealed that the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF) discovered Johnson's illicit sales from his home after seeing an Instagram photo of him holding multiple firearms. At that time, Johnson was under home detention in Marion County.

“The days of drug deals solely occurring on street corners are long gone. Today, fentanyl traffickers like this defendant can use social media to push illegal guns and poison into our community,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers said in a release.

ABC News affiliate WRTV reported that Johnson did not set his Instagram account to private. On September 30, 2022, officials executing a search warrant at Johnson’s residence discovered 100 fentanyl pills, 112 grams of marijuana, thousands of dollars, a Glock firearm, a Glock gun box with magazines, another handgun, and additional drugs. The release indicated that at least one firearm had been reported stolen previously.

Given his prior felony convictions, Johnson is legally barred from possessing firearms. He has at least four convictions involving unlawful firearm possession.