Newark Drug Boss Who Market-Tested His Product Gets 15-Year Sentence

The head of a Newark-based drug distribution network was sentenced to 180 months in prison on narcotics and weapons charges, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey announced Monday.

Ahmad Johnson of Newark headed up a drug organization operating in the city.

Paul Milo

04/15/2019 1:03 p.m.

Ahmad "OC" Johnson, a 38-year-old Newark resident, sold drugs throughout the city and the surrounding area for nearly a year beginning in September 2016.

Law enforcement used surveillance of phone calls and texts as well as confidential informants and drug buys to determine that Johnson headed up a drug-dealing enterprise that acquired heroin and cocaine wholesale, then packaged and sold the drugs to users and other dealers.

Before putting the drugs on the street, however, Johnson recruited "testers" to try them out in order to determine their strength and potential deadliness, authorities said.

After completing his sentence, Johnson must also serve five years of supervised release.

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