DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction of Aaron Neil Johnson, 22, for his involvement in two violent robberies targeting senior citizens. A jury found Johnson guilty on April 1, 2024, of armed robbery, robbery, and theft by receiving stolen property related to incidents involving two women aged 74 and 78.
On October 15, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk sentenced Johnson to a total of 20 years. He will serve 15 years in custody without parole, with the remainder on probation. The charges arose from events between December 5 and December 7, 2019.
Investigations revealed that Johnson acted as a lookout while Joshua Bryant assaulted a 74-year-old woman at a Chevron gas station in Atlanta on December 5. Bryant inflicted multiple injuries before stealing her car with her dog inside. Although the dog was later recovered unharmed, the vehicle was not found.
Two days later, a black Toyota Camry was stolen from Fulton County and used in another carjacking at a Kroger parking lot in Lithonia. Johnson confronted a 78-year-old woman there, taking her keys and threatening her with a firearm before fleeing with her Mercedes.
Johnson failed to attend the final day of his trial but was apprehended on August 1, following a SWAT standoff in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Bryant pleaded guilty to robbery and aggravated battery charges on September 1, receiving a sentence of 20 years. Tiffany Swanson also pleaded guilty to robbery and received five years with time served in custody.
The case was managed by the Crimes Against Elder Persons & Adults with Disabilities Unit. Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Franklin Engram led the prosecution team along with other members from the district attorney's office and law enforcement.