Michael Allen Johnston, 29, was sentenced to 20 years in prison as a Habitual
Violent Felony Offender today in a Lee County courtroom. He was found to be a
Danger to the Community at sentencing. He pled guilty to a charge of Violation of
Probation as well as Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Domestic Violence
Battery with Strangulation.
Johnston had completed jail time and was on probation for a 2017 case when he
got into an argument in December 2018 with a woman. He was in a car with her
when the argument began. The victim was driving the car and pulled into a drug
store parking lot. Johnston got out of the car, went over to the driver’s side and
began strangling the victim. He then grabbed a gun from her purse and shot her in
the leg. The defendant then pulled her out of the car and threw her to the ground.
A friend who had been in the back seat jumped out of the car to her aid. The
defendant then drove off.
The victim was the same in both the 2017 and 2018 cases. Assistant State Attorney
Lindsay Scott handled the prosecution of the new case. Assistant State Attorney
Audra Thomas-Eth handled the VOP on the 2017 case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
ssyoen@sao20.org
239-533-1125