Guilty plea, prison time after crack found in oven mitt

A Springfield man was sentenced on Wednesday for illegally possessing crack cocaine and a firearm.

Ulysses Johnson, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years and six months in federal prison without parole, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson.

In April, Johnson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.

An undercover Springfield police officer purchased crack cocaine from Johnson on three separate occasions in December 2011 and January 2012, the release said.

Police officers executed a search warrant at Johnson's residence in January 2012 and found a loaded FIE Tanfoglio .22-caliber revolver in the nightstand of the master bedroom, a partial box of .357-caliber and .22-caliber ammunition in the hallway bathroom.

They also found a large bag that contained 12.64 grams of crack cocaine, divided into eight smaller individual baggies, hidden in an oven mitt in the kitchen, the release said.

Following the search, Johnson was placed under arrest.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearms or ammunition.

Johnson has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery, taking a driving a vehicle without consent, delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of THC, an ingredient in marijuana.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Cindy Hyde. It was investigated by the Springfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.