Prairie State Wire

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 55 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a loaded handgun in a residence on the city’s Near West Side. The incident occurred on January 25, 2020, when police responded to a call from an individual who reported that Brandon Johnson had brandished the firearm and threatened to shoot. Several children were present inside the home at the time.

Johnson, age 37, had prior felony convictions that prohibited him from legally owning a firearm. He has been held in law enforcement custody since December 2020 and will receive credit for time served.

The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey on August 13, 2025. The case was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher C. Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The Chicago Police Department also assisted with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri stated in the government’s sentencing memorandum: “The City of Chicago has been plagued by gun violence for many years,” adding that “the possession of a loaded firearm is a significant contributor to that gun violence.”