Ex-Atlanta Falcon gets 20-year sentence for trafficking women as part of LOTTO gang

Written by: A. Smith

Published September 24, 2025 @ 11:02 AM ET

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A former NFL player has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a Georgia gang and human trafficking case involving four women and a child, state officials said.

Attorney General Chris Carr announced that Eric Duane Johnson, 49, pleaded guilty to charges of gang activity, racketeering and pimping. A judge sentenced him to 20 years, with the first 10 to be served in prison.

Johnson, a former Atlanta Falcons player who scored a special teams touchdown for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, was one of nine people charged in the case. Carr said all nine have now been convicted.

Prosecutors said the group was part of the LOTTO Gang, also known as the “Last One To Take Over” or the “30% Gang.” Investigators linked the gang to the Crips and Gangster Disciples.

Authorities said gang members trafficked four women and one child. Johnson transported two of the women and supplied the gang’s leaders with money and firearms, Carr said.

“This case is yet another reminder of the link between gangs and human trafficking and why we must remain aggressive in our pursuit of both,” Carr said in a statement.