COKE CREEP
A TV PRODUCER who moved the body of a Long Island mom after she overdosed on drugs was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day behind bars.
Marc Henry Johnson, 53, pleaded guilty in March to one count of accessory after the fact for moving Kiersten Cerveny’s body from a Chelsea apartment on Oct. 4, 2015.
Johnson met up with Cerveny about 4 a.m. that day and they went to admitted drug dealer James (Pepsi) Holder’s W. 16th St. apartment, prosecutors said.
The married mother of three, who was a well-regarded dermatologist, overdosed on cocaine in the apartment.
A video shown during sentencing showed Johnson and Holder fumbling with Cerveny’s limp body in the hallway of the apartment building before carrying her down the corridor.
His conviction stems from concealing Holder’s drug den by moving her body.
Before Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman handed down prison time, Johnson expressed his condolences — and apologized to his family. He said he has lost several family members to alcohol and crack, and asked the judge for leniency.
“Please give me the chance to redeem myself,” he begged.
Furman said picking the right sentence for Johnson was a challenge. He could’ve gotten up to 10 years in prison, but his lawyer was pushing for no jail time. Prosecutors were seeking at least two years. The judge ultimately decided that Johnson held some responsibility for Cerveny’s death and should spend some time in the slammer. “My guess (is) we would not be sitting here had Mr. Johnson immediately called 911,” Furman said. “For all we know, she could have been saved.” Johnson said he called paramedics when Cerveny, 38, “turned blue.” Prosecutors said Johnson gave paramedics incomplete info about her condition when they arrived, and then left. “You made the wrong choice,” Furman said, later adding, “I can’t get past the fact that your conduct may have resulted in the
Furman wasn’t swayed by award-winning writer David Simon’s letter to the court effectively arguing that sending Johnson to jail would punish him for calling 911.
The creator of “The Wire” had urged Furman “to consider leniency” for his “effective producer, collaborator and employee.”
Citing his experience covering the war on drugs in Baltimore, Simon argued that punishing Johnson could create a precedent that leads to more deaths.
Simon was working with Johnson on the upcoming HBO show “The Deuce.”
Holder pleaded guilty in December to using his apartment as a stash house. He was sentenced to five years in prison in May. tragic death of (Cerveny).”