5 things to know about Alice Marie Johnson
Kim Kardashian West advocates for her release
This week, reality star Kim Kardashian West met with President Donald Trump to advocate for the early release of Memphian Alice Marie Johnson from federal prison.
The 62-year-old great-grandmother is serving a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense; a sentence Kardashian called “so unfair.”
Based on coverage at the time, Johnson was involved in a drug conspiracy that authorities described as the largest known drug operation in the city’s history.
Five things to know about Alice Marie Johnson:
1. Johnson’s conviction involved a multi-million dollar Houston-to-Memphis cocaine operation that ran from June 1991 to September 1994. Authorities said it was fueled by drugs that originated with the Cali drug cartel from Colombia.
2. Confessed drug dealers identified Johnson as one of two ring leaders for the Memphis operation. The 1996 trial lasted three weeks, with testimony from 40 witnesses. There were more than 180 exhibits that included cocaine with an estimated street value of $2.5 million.
3. Johnson has denied leadership of the drug operation, but admitted she made a bad decision at a low point in her life.
4. Johnson petitioned President Barack Obama for an early release but did not make the cut. Kim Kardashian West first tweeted about Johnson in 2017.
5. There is no indication that Trump will release Johnson from federal prison.