![johnson.dan](https://militarycorruption.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/johnson.dan_.jpg)
We have written about this before, but some of our readers missed the truly outrageous factor, of where an Army Major and JAG officer stole $7,122 from the Army through an embezzlement scheme and ended up with an Honorable Discharge.
There he was, king of all he surveyed. Major Dan Johnson had the world by the ass. He was a reserve JAG officer (Major) in the South Carolina Air National Guard, skyrocketing his way towards flag rank to one day become a general in the United States Army.
On the weekends, Dan Johnson would don the uniform of an Army major, and as a JAG officer he would drag one soldier after another to a court martial.
As a prosecutor for the government, Major Johnson did whatever he could to toss soldiers in prison, many guilty of doing far less than Major Johnson was doing on any given day.
Then in his civilian job, he was the Solicitor for the South Carolina Fifth Judicial Circuit making $140,000/yr. But, with all the perks and benefits, Heaven only knows how much he really was receiving. His paycheck only tells part of the story.
Yes, Major Dan had the world by the ass. Speaking of ass, while Major Dan was tossing military people in jail as a JAG officer, and tossing civilians in jail in his civilian job, he took the time to have an affair with another man’s wife and embezzle money from both his civilian job and his military job.
Pardon the pun, but the power obviously went to his head.
THE HAMMER NEVER REALLY DROPPED,
AND THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW
WAS PATHETIC, AT BEST
Even though the U.S. Attorney’s office want us to believe the hammer dropped on Major & Solicitor Dan Johnson; his punishment left a lot to be desired. The Feds racked up lots of charges against the scumbag solicitor, but ended up dropping 97% of those charges.
They said it was in exchange for his cooperation. Usually, when perps “cooperate,” many more people are arrested. So far, we know of no one else who has been held accountable for any malfeasance. It was all smoke and mirrors to protect one of their own.
Major Dan’s illegal antics finally forced the U.S. Attorney’s office to make it look like they were holding the scumbag solicitor accountable.
When Major Dan found out the federal blood hounds were on his trail, he took steps to conceal his crimes by erasing evidence on an iPad and iPhone. As the Solicitor of Richland and Kershaw Counties in South Carolina, he surely knew that destroying evidence of a crime is a major no-no.
Federal authorities racked up over fifty (50) charges against Dan Johnson, with the primary charges involving fraud topping out at $44,000+. Part of that fraud total was $7,122 stolen from the Army Air National Guard.
The Air National Guard deferred to the Feds and made no effort to hold Major Johnson accountable for statutes that are uniquely military. Dan Johnson was being protected by senior commanders.
The federal indictment painted a picture that Major & Solicitor Daniel E. Johnson was essentially keeping two sets of books. Sadly, there was no mention of Dan Johnson’s involvement in the illegal incarceration of an innocent man for nearly two years.
Major Johnson used his Air National Guard credit card for lodging, airfare, rental cars, parking, mileage, meals and other incidentals. We are guessing he also needed a case of condoms too.
Then, after his little boondoggle at the expense of the government was over, Major Johnson submitted the same travel claim receipts to both the Army and his Solicitor’s office for the same thing. Why have one compensation, when you can have two?
Johnson was living large. He was double billing the military and the taxpayers of South Carolina, and topped it all off with cheating on his wife with other married women.
The only man with courage enough to take on the powerful solicitor (Mr. Earl Graham) ended up being arrested on bogus charges and thrown in jail prison for 22 months. Nearly two years in jail prison for the “crime” of telling the truth.
MAJOR & SOLICITOR DAN JOHNSON
RECEIVED A MERE SLAP ON THE WRIST
The Feds claimed he was going to be “cooperative,” and gave Johnson only a year and a day in prison. Lucky for Dan, the Chinese infected the world with the Corona Virus, so he was let out of prison early.
Major Johnson lost his license to practice law in South Carolina. We are betting the language used when he lost his law license left a back-door open for him to get his law license back in the future.
After stealing $7,122 from the military, the Army in their infinite “wisdom,” decided to give Major Dan an HONORABLE DISCHARGE. It turns out that if you are an officer in the Army with lots of drinking buddies in high places, you will be protected from real accountability.
We are thinking that Major Johnson used his extraordinary powers to protect his friends. They in turn, made sure he was protected when he got his tit caught in a wringer. As solicitor, you not only have the ability to destroy people, but you also can make problems go away for personal friends.
There were no military charges filed against Major Dan Johnson (that we are aware of), on those violations of the UCMJ that are unique to the military, like…
- CONDUCT UNBECOMING AN OFFICER,
- ADULTERY,
- FRATERNIZATION,
- UNLAWFUL COMMAND INFLUENCE,
- DERELICTION OF DUTY, etc., etc.
To our knowledge, there wasn’t even a JAG investigation by the Army. We are betting that an Army Major who was having affairs with other men’s wives at his civilian job, most likely was having his way with enlisted women as well. That’s called FRATERNIZATION.
ARMY VS. NAVY –
TWO RESERVE OFFICERS
WHO RECEIVED FAR DIFFERENT TREATMENT
The Navy is also frequently guilty of giving “favorite sons” a pass when the admiral desires it so.
But, sometimes the Navy (and other branches of service) will use their judicial power to crucify someone who potentially threatens to expose criminal misconduct by senior naval officers. And thus was the case of Lieutenant Dave.
![](https://militarycorruption.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/LIEUTENANT-DAVE-711x1024.jpg)
A GRAPHIC COMPARISON…
Lieutenant (O-3) Dave was a pilot in the Navy flying off an aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific Ocean, but later transitioned to the naval reserves.
Lt. Dave’s chief petty officer (E-7) revealed some disturbing news about massive payroll fraud on the naval reserve base where both men were newly assigned.
The command made the decision to pay 600-800 reservists for drills periods never attended, in direct violation of Navy regulations.
Lt. Dave proposed re-drilling the reservists before the end of the fiscal year, sparing the command from having to ask for the money back.
His commanding officer was miffed Lt. Dave would even suggest such a thing. “Are you trying to embarrass me?” the commanding officer snapped.
The highly experienced E-7 admin chief schooled the young Navy lieutenant, on how people achieve higher rank in the naval reserves.
Higher rank and better choices for desired duty stations are all based on retention numbers of drilling reservists.
Naval officers with the highest retention numbers are generally promoted to higher rank and received plum duty assignments for their “outstanding leadership.”
If the commanding officer did anything to upset his reservists, then retention numbers would plummet. The other side of that coin means that if you pay reservists for drill periods they never attended, they love you and definitely stay affiliated with the military reserve system.
In the reserve Navy, many reservists can quit anytime they want, without repercussions. Technically, reservists are under contract, but seldom does the Navy enforce that contract by sending out the gestapo to arrest a former reservist for unilaterally severing his/her affiliation.
The regular Navy labels someone who quits as” desertion,” but in the naval reserves, if people no longer wish to affiliate, they just leave and never come back. They did not necessarily desert their unit. As a civilian, they simply broke a contract they had with the military.
Most all drilling reservists already have an Honorable Discharge from active duty. It’s not likely the military has the time or inclination to bring AWOL reservists back on active duty to be court martialed. Not only that, but it would be legally and politically messy.
NAVY ATTACKS THE WHISTLE-BLOWERS
Finally, the United States Navy decided to attack the two intrepid whistle-blowers. The Navy took immediate action to rid themselves of these two “problem children” attempting to expose criminal misconduct.
The chief petty officer (E-7) was driven to a neighboring Air Force base under armed guard. With nearly 20 years of military service and a chest full of combat ribbons, the E-7 was illegally incarcerated in a military mental hospital for threatening to commit suicide. It was all bullshit, a made up story so the command could neutralize his allegations of fraud as being from a “crazy man.”
The United States Navy employed a Soviet tactic of sending people to mental hospitals who, in this case, posed a threat to the commanding officer’s career. Don’t think it doesn’t happen in America. We have proof that it does.
Four days later, Lieutenant Dave was arrested for fraternizing and submitting a dubious travel claim. He was ordered back to the regular Navy to be tried by a general court martial.
Three days before Christmas, Lt. Dave was found guilty of one count of fraternization and one count of improperly submitting a travel claim for $75 ($75.51, to be exact).
The United States Navy spent millions training Lt. Dave how to fly sophisticated military aircraft, only to throw him out of the service with the same cavalier attitude that one would have discarding a paper cup.
To put things in better focus, Major Dan Johnson lined his pockets with $7,122 of stolen military money and received a Honorable Discharge with VA benefits, while Lt. Dave, who never actually received any money from his $75 travel claim was Dishonorably Discharged and barred from receiving any VA benefits.
POTENTIALLY SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON
FOR DATING AN ENLISTED WOMAN
AND SUBMITTING A $75 TRAVEL CLAIM
Lieutenant Dave also received a felony conviction to compliment his Dishonorable Discharge. Most people, in the military or out don’t know it, but the UCMJ categorizes fraternization as a felony, good for two years in a federal penitentiary.
Because of what naval JAG officers called the “multiplitious effect,” multiple charges means punishments can dramatically rise, having a compounding affect.
Consequently, a single count of fraternization and a single count of improperly submitting a $75 travel claim, could have sent Lt. Dave to a full seven (7) years behind bars at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
One does not have to have sex with an enlisted person to be guilty of fraternizing. If you buy an enlisted member a beer and call him or her by their first name, as an officer, you are guilty of fraternizing.
For these two crimes, you will receive a Dishonorably Discharge with a felony conviction and potentially spend two years in prison for the fraternization alone. Add to that an improperly submitted $75 travel claim, and the military can potentially toss you in prison for seven (7) years and throw away the key.
Ironically, because of his past stellar naval career and excellent flying skills, Lt. Dave’s government assigned attorney handed him a letter in the courtroom as the jury deliberated.
The letter was from the Bureau of Naval Personnel saying, “Congratulations! You have been selected for promotion to the rank of lieutenant commander (O-4),” which happened to be the same paygrade as Major Dan Johnson.
After being thrown out of the Navy, Lt. Dave attempted to market his aviation skills to the airlines, but was rejected at every turn. He was told that no insurance company would allow an airline to put a convicted felon in the cockpit. Even though Lt. Dave possessed an Airline Transport Pilot’s License with the FAA, Lt. Dave’s flying days were over.
Two military men, one in the army reserves, the other in the naval reserves. Both, about the same rank. One a lawyer, the other a pilot. One eligible for VA benefits, the other is statutorily barred from an VA benefits. One received an HONORABLE discharge, the other received a DISHONORABLE discharge.
With regards to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), the code might be uniform, but punishments can be far different depending on various factors. Equal Justice Under Law? We don’t think so.
SOLICITOR DAN JOHNSON
ACTED UNDER THE COLOR OF LAW
TO DESTROY AND INNOCENT MAN
![](https://militarycorruption.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Earl-Graham.jpg)
When former Army captain and now 100% disabled veteran (Earl Graham) became a whistle-blower, Major/Solicitor Dan Johnson had him thrown in jail on trumped up charges. Jail is usually only for people awaiting trial.
“Prison” is for people who have been convicted and received a sentence behind bars for an extended period of time, and two years is indeed an extended period of time.
Dan Johnson used his power at the Solicitor of the South Carolina 5th Judicial Circuit to illegally imprison Mr. Graham in an effort to break him.
Johnson kept Graham in jail prison for almost two years with out charges and without a trial. Talk about abusing one’s power as a law enforcement official.
Apparently someone in South Carolina’s judicial spectrum got wind of what Johnson was illegally doing t0 Earl Graham, holding him behind bars without charges, without bail, without a trial.
After nearly two years languishing behind bars, Earl Graham was finally released from his jail prison cell. It took another three years before Mr. Graham received an exoneration letter from Major/Solicitor Dan Johnson.
Solicitor Dan Johnson was obviously under pressure from his chain of supervision to either charge Graham or let him go. Since Graham was innocent of violating any law, the scumbag solicitor decided it might be in his best interest to let Graham out of jail prison.
More to come on the Earl Graham story in future MilitaryCorruption.com articles. As a 100% disabled veteran, Graham deserves to have his story told.
For some odd reason, the U.S. Attorney didn’t seem to be interested in the unlawful arrest and unlawful incarceration of a innocent man for nearly two years without a charges and without a trial. Major & Solicitor Dan Johnson should have received 15 years+ in prison for his outrageous abuse of power.
The intentional and unlawful imprisonment of an innocent man, done with malice aforethought, deserves the harshest of punishment. Instead, the powers that be felt Major Johnson should receive an extremely light sentence.
We wonder what would have happened if the person unlawfully thrown in prison for nearly two years was a relative of any of the U.S. Attorney’s involved in Johnson’s prosecution? You can bet, Johnson would be in prison right now, serving a very long sentence.
And people wonder why some Americans have lost faith in the American judicial system.
SUMMARY
What does it mean to act under the color of law? Peri Collins, a former police officer and attorney says…
Acts under “color of any law” include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the bounds or limits of their lawful authority, but also acts done without and beyond the bounds of their lawful authority; provided the unlawful acts must be done while such official is purporting or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties.
This definition includes, in addition to law enforcement officials (like Solicitor and JAG officer Dan Johnson), individuals such as Mayors, Council persons, Judges, Security Guards, etc., persons who are duty-bound by their own oath of office, and also bound by laws, statutes, ordinances, or customs.
Our gut tells us the United States Army allowed Major Johnson to receive an HONORABLE DISCHARGE because without one, he would not be able to file a VA claim for PTSD.
In fact, during his court appearance, the disgraced South Carolina solicitor stated categorically he was allegedly suffering from PTSD. It’s obvious Johnson was laying the groundwork for a tax-free income from a VA disability.
As soon as the Feds let Johnson out of prison, authorities from South Carolina’s Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and JAG officers from the United States Army should have been waiting Johnson with handcuffs in hand.
Several military statutes were violated, and several laws in the State of South Carolina were violated as well. Why did Johnson get a pass from the Army and South Carolina?
In future articles we are going to expose the games the State of South Carolina has been playing with the Earl Graham case. The People of South Carolina deserve much better than they are getting from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), that’s for sure.
Nothing really to say to the members of the American military, except that military statutes are an utter joke if not fairly applied to all. And, as a final question what brain-dead service Secretary actually approved Major Dan Johnson’s HONORABLE DISCHARGE?