Two Felons Guilty of Possessing Firearms

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that on November 16, 2022 a federal jury found Robert Vandori Johnson, age 40 , of Aurora, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Co-defendant Daevon House, age 30, of Denver, previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

According to facts presented at trial, on February 1, 2022, Denver police officers were searching for House due to an outstanding arrest warrant. After locating him, they observed House and Johnson drive to an apartment complex in Denver, Colorado. Both went into an apartment and came back out a short time later. As House and Johnson got back into the car, officers stopped the car and attempted to arrest House. When officers approached, House ran on foot. He was carrying a firearm which he dropped as he fled before being taken into custody. House had previously been convicted of a felony, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm or ammunition. Johnson was contacted and escorted from the driver seat of his car vehicle. As he exited the vehicle, a semiautomatic pistol dropped from his waistband. Johnson had previously been convicted of a felony offense making it unlawful for him to possess a firearm or ammunition.

Judge Philip A. Brimmer presided over Johnson's two day trial. The jury returned its guilty verdict on November 16, 2022. Johnson will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced House to 91 months in prison on August 9, 2022.

The investigation was handled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Denver Police Department. The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-00046-RM

For more information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr

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