The San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the NFL world is in shock over news that surfaced on Saturday. One of the team’s former long-time starters was sentenced to two decades in prison over extremely disturbing charges.
Here are the full details.
A long-time starter for the 49ers has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for human trafficking (Breaking News)
After being charged with human trafficking and pimping, former NFL player Eric Johnson, 49, was sentenced to 20 years in prison:
Johnson and nine other men were sentenced for their ties to a gang known as LOTTO, which is connected to the national Crips and Gangster Disciples. LOTTO stands for “Last One to Take Over Gang.”
In August, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and one count of pimping. His sentence of 20 years is split between prison and strict probation.
Johnson and the other men were indicted in 2023, and all nine have now been convicted. Johnson and defendant Bobby Downing were the final two to be convicted and sentenced; both pleaded guilty. Downing was sentenced to 30 years, with the first 12 years to be served in prison and the remaining years on strict probation. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
The case investigation began on May 19, 2022, following a shooting involving the defendants Sean Patrick Harvey and Sean Aaron Curry. Authorities learned that Harvey and Curry had ties to LOTTO after their arrest and began a lengthy investigation. The investigation revealed that Johnson and several other defendants were involved with the trafficking of five female victims, including one young child.
A press released from the Georgia Office of the Attorney General said, “This is a criminal network that trafficking a child to make money, and we went after all those involved – taking down the gang’s leaders, associates and the entire LOTTO operation… we’re fighting each day to protect our most vulnerable Georgians, and we won’t rest until every predator and violent criminal is held accountable.”
