Man On Parole After Murder Conviction Sentenced to Prison for Identity Theft and Making False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon:

PORTLAND, Ore.—A felon who fled his parole on a murder conviction and moved to Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today for using stolen identities to apply for multiple Oregon driver’s licenses and making false statements while attempting to purchase multiple firearms.

Johnny Lee Allen, 45, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in 1999, Allen was convicted of second-degree murder in Douglas County, Nebraska and sentenced to 35-50 years in prison. Shortly after he was released from Nebraska state custody in April 2019, he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and fled the state. Four months later, he used a stolen identity to obtain a Wyoming identification card. In late August 2019, he showed up at a DMV office in Gresham, Oregon and applied for and obtained an Oregon identification card using the same stolen identity. Two months later, in October 2019, Allen used the stolen identity a third time to apply for an Oregon driver’s license.

During the same time period, Allen used fraudulently-obtained identity documents for multiple firearm transactions. On November 1, 2019, he attempted to purchase a semi-automatic rifle, but cancelled the transaction when the background check was delayed. The next day, a woman Allen was dating purchased a .40 caliber pistol. Over the next nine months, Allen loaned the pistol to three different pawn shops in exchange for cash. In November 2020, Allen attempted to purchase a second firearm, but again cancelled the transaction rather than wait for a background check to be completed.

In July 2022, Allen used his brother’s identity to apply for a second Oregon driver’s license. His second attempt at an Oregon license failed when he used the same address he had used to obtain the first and his photo was flagged for potential fraud in the state’s DMV system.

On July 29, 2022, Allen was charged by criminal complaint with Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft. On December 20, 2022, he was arrested in Oregon City, Oregon. During his arrest, law enforcement located and seized four different fraudulent pieces of identification on Allen’s person. All were obtained using the personal information of Allen’s first identity theft victim.

On March 22, 2023, Allen pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information charging him with aggravated identity theft and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Rachel Sowray, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.