Covington man given 25 years in prison for drug trafficking

NEWTON COUNTY — A Covington man is set to spend the next quarter century behind bars for his role in trafficking drugs.

Walter Brian Johnson, 52, pled guilty in Newton County Superior Court on Monday to an array of drug-related charges including trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The charges stem from two different incidents that occurred two years ago.

On June 22, 2024, officers with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Mote Road residence in reference to a person suffering from a bullet wound. The residence was occupied by Johnson’s mother, in which he told her that he had been shot. Johnson later told deputies that he was “exercising down the street” when he was approached by two people dressed in all black.

But the District Attorney’s Office noted that the evidence did not match the crime.

“However, there were no signs of blood and no shell casing found around the area Johnson said he was shot,” a news release from the DA’s office stated.

Officers continued their investigation at Johnson’s residence on Highway 162. There, they reportedly found blood, shell casings, a firearm and over a kilogram of methamphetamine and other narcotics.

Three months later on Sept. 27, 2024, Johnson was pulled over at a gas station in Newton County. Officers discovered approximately 90 ounces of meth and “other narcotics.” More drug paraphernalia was later found at his residence.

“Newton County deputies obtained a search warrant for his residence on Highway 162,” the DA’s office wrote. “During this search, law enforcement located more than an ounce of methamphetamine, a large amount of cocaine, and more than an ounce of marijuana.”

In total, Johnson was charged with three counts of tracking methamphetamine, one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, one count of possession of marijuana of more than an ounce and one count of possession of a scheduled II controlled substance.

Johnson was sentenced to 30 total years, with 25 to be served in prison. He was also fined over $1.5 million in fines and surcharges, among other conditions. 

A search on the Georgia Department of Corrections website shows that Johnson had already been in the prison system on charges including the sale of methamphetamine and theft by receiving stolen property. 

“This case demonstrates the dangers of selling narcotics,” wrote Newton County District Attorney Randy McGinley.  “Johnson, who has a previous conviction for multiple counts of sale of methamphetamine, was distributing dangerous drugs in our community. That not only led to a lengthy prison sentence, but it also put him in danger of losing his life. Thankfully no one else was harmed by the gun violence that Johnson’s drug peddling brought to our community.”