by the summer of 1952, johnson's activities were being reported in the celebrity people section of "jet", an american weekly aimed at african american readers which was founded in 1951. that same year, johnson was indicted in new york for conspiracy to sell heroin and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. two years later, "jet" reported in its crime section that johnson began his sentence after losing an appeal. he served the majority of that sentence at alcatraz prison in san francisco bay, california as inmate no. 1117, and was released in 1963.