Gardena Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison

Gardena Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison

by Contributing Editor

An alleged member of a Gardena street gang was sentenced to 123 months in prison for firearm- and drug-related charges after two separate attempts to flee from law enforcement, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Wednesday.

Jonathan Gregory Wheeler — also known as Johnny Boy or Stix — pleaded guilty last year to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to the ATF.

He was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles federal court by U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr.

In October 2017, Wheeler, a convicted felon on post-release community supervision at the time, was stopped by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. During the stop, a loaded semi-automatic .32-caliber handgun, 31 grams of meth, a digital scale and currency were seized, officials said.

In January 2018, Wheeler, 37, fled from Gardena police during a vehicle stop. Wheeler eluded officers after a foot chase, but officers found a homemade manufactured handgun and a Glock 9mm handgun in his path.

Ammunition, multiple firearm magazines and clothing associated with a gang were recovered from the vehicle. In March 2018, Wheeler attempted to evade Gardena police again on a high-speed, violent chase resulting in him ramming patrol vehicles with his car.

Upon Wheeler’s arrest, a Glock 9mm handgun, 12 grams of meth and counterfeit currency was recovered from his vehicle, according to the ATF.

One of the four firearms recovered during the investigation was linked via the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network to a homicide that was investigated by the LASD, according to the ATF.

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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com