Former NFL DB Eric Johnson sentenced to 20 years in Georgia trafficking case tied to LOTTO gang

A former NFL defensive back was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to participating in a human trafficking and pimping operation tied to the LOTTO gang, a network with links to national Crips and Gangster Disciples operating in Georgia.

Johnson, 49, who played for the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals, was among nine defendants sentenced in the case. Prosecutors said the LOTTO operation trafficked women to generate money for the gang, using threats of violence to hold them against their will and to fund weapon purchases. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr described the operation as a calculated criminal enterprise and said the state would continue pursuing the network at every level. "This is a criminal network that trafficked a child to make money, and we went after all those involved – taking down the gang’s leaders, associates, and the entire LOTTO operation," Carr said. Johnson is known for a notable moment with the Raiders, when he blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVII, a highlight cited in coverage of his career.

The investigation that led to the sentencing began in 2023 after a shooting involving two other defendants, Sean Harvey and Sean Curry, which prompted state and local authorities to probe the LOTTO network. The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office and other agencies identified a pattern in which women were held against their will through threats of violence and used to generate money for members and to purchase weapons. The network’s operations stretched across community borders, tying into larger criminal organizations while maintaining a local footprint in Gwinnett and nearby counties.

Johnson, a Nebraska graduate, spent four seasons with the Raiders from 2000 to 2003 before stints with the Falcons in 2004 and the Cardinals in 2005, his final NFL season. In the courtroom, he pleaded guilty to charges of gang activity, racketeering and pimping, acknowledging his role in the enterprise and cooperating with investigators, as prosecutors described the code of the operation and its methods as a model of modern trafficking and organized crime.

The judge handed down a 20-year sentence, with the first 10 years to be served in prison. The remainder of his sentence will be served under strict probation. The structure set by the court mirrors the handling of multiple defendants in the case, reflecting a coordinated federal-state effort to dismantle a network described by authorities as hierarchical and profit-driven.

The LOTTO gang’s name is short for the Last One To Take Over Gang, a moniker that authorities said underscored the group’s territorial and leadership ambitions. Prosecutors said the operation trafficked women to generate revenue for members and to fund weapons purchases, with violence used as a tool to enforce compliance. The case connected a broader spectrum of individuals linked to the network’s leadership and enforcers, and Government officials stressed that takedowns targeted both leaders and associates to disrupt the flow of money and violence.

The sentencing marks a landmark moment in Georgia’s ongoing fight against human trafficking networks, particularly those with ties to larger street gangs. Carr emphasized that law enforcement will stay vigilant to protect vulnerable populations and will pursue predators across jurisdictions. "We’re fighting each day to protect our most vulnerable Georgians, and we won’t rest until every predator and violent criminal is held accountable," Carr said.

Johnson’s career arc and the case’s narrative illustrate how athletes can be drawn into criminal schemes beyond the field, according to prosecutors who described the LOTTO operation as a sophisticated trafficking network that exploited vulnerable individuals and used coercive tactics to sustain its activities. The collaboration among state and local agencies in 2023 and the subsequent court actions reflect a broader crackdown on trafficking networks that leverage sex, violence and economic pressure to sustain criminal enterprises.

The images below provide a photographic context from the era and the later reporting surrounding the case.