A Chula Vista man who punched a federal agent while she was questioning him about a false prescription was sentenced Feb. 21 to 30 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer.
Ricky Dean Johnson, 52, got the two-and-a-half-year term from U.S. District Court Judge John Houston for the June 13, 2011, incident inside the Medical Center Pharmacy at 855 Third Ave. in Chula Vista.
Johnson turned in a forged prescription and the Drug Enforcement Administration agent extended her arm to guide him into another area of the pharmacy, according to court records. He punched her in the head with his fist and fled, but was arrested the next day in Los Angeles.
“This was a significant sentence and sends an important message that the use of violence during an interaction with law enforcement will have harsh consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.
His attorney, Nathan Feneis, said Johnson “panicked” when he saw DEA agents. A charge of presenting a false prescription was dismissed after he admitted to the assault. He received credit for already serving nearly seven months in jail. Johnson has a 1996 conviction for forgery.
