One of the suspects awaiting trial for the murder of late rap star Young Dolph has been sentenced to two years in prison on a parole violation. Action News 5 reports that Justin Johnson had violated the terms of his release from prison that stemmed from a past weapons charge.
The violations Johnson was cited for include “not being regularly employed, missing mandatory drug screenings and therapy, failing to seek permission before leaving the jurisdiction and being arrested.” According to Judge Mark Norris, who handed down the sentence, Johnson had “squandered” the various opportunities that were presented to him to turn his life around.
Justin Johnson was arrested by U.S. Marshals this past January after a vehicle he was traveling in was stopped in Indiana. Johnson, who had been on the run for over one month, was hit with various charges in connection to Dolph’s death, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and theft of property worth $10,000–$60,000. In addition to Johnson, Cornelius Smith is also being charged with first-degree murder for Young Dolph’s death, while Shundale Barnett, who was captured with Johnson, was charged with after-the-fact accessory to first-degree murder.
Young Dolph died in November 2021 after he was shot in an ambush while shopping at Makeda’s Homemade Cookies in his hometown of Memphis. The rap star was 36 years old at the time of his death.