A Columbus gangbanger who blasted at an FBI agent in a daytime shootout has been handed a hefty prison sentence this week. Joshuia Johnathon Luke Brown, also known as "Black," drew more than 26 years of a hard time after a federal court found him guilty of multiple gun and drug charges. According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Brown's convictions include violent assault on a federal officer, weapon brandishing during violence, and several counts tied to drug trafficking and possession.
In what was echoed by authorities as a flagrant disrespect for human life, 26-year-old Brown fired upon an agent with a machine gun in a residential neighborhood. U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary stated, “Brown will now have more than 26 years in federal prison to consider his utter disregard for human life.” Caught during the act on July 28, 2022, Brown and his co-defendant Jarvis Smith were surveilled by feds partaking in a drug deal near 1049 Winston Road in Columbus. A car chase ensued during which the agent's vehicle was struck multiple times, and a bullet even pierced a nearby home, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
While Brown has been sentenced, Smith awaits his fate with a potential life sentence dangling over his head. Firing multiple rounds at a federal officer's car, which hit a passenger door, just one of the rounds struck a private residence, Smith's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office release. Neither of the defendants has the chance for parole; Smith previously pled guilty to similar charges, including possession of a firearm by a felon.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley expressed relief that no one was injured during what she called Brown's "act of terror." Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman, turning his attention to the righteousness of the pursuit, appreciated the FBI's courage, alluding to an impact being made on local gang activity: "The federal system leveraged justice for both cowards involved," Sheriff Countryman told the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Brown's affiliation with US World, a hybrid criminal street gang, and Smith's association with the Bloods gang spotlight the gritty criminal networks sprawling Columbus. Both were found to possess modified firearms capable of fully automatic fire, adding to the gravity of the drug and firearms offenses outlined in the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
