Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that former Houston County Assistant District Attorney Mark Johnson was found guilty on ethics charges after a Houston County jury returned six guilty verdicts Thursday afternoon. As a result of his six felony convictions, Johnson has been taken into custody.

Throughout the four-day trial, the Houston County jury heard evidence that Johnson used his position as a county prosecutor to solicit and receive sexual favors for himself from three defendants. In one situation, Johnson solicited an escort from a defendant facing life in prison for a drug trafficking charge. Johnson later solicited that same defendant for another girl who had just been released from prison. In addition, Johnson solicited and received a sexual photo, and in exchange, helped a female defendant stay out of court-ordered drug rehabilitation so that he could continue to communicate with her in Houston County. In another instance, Johnson solicited sexual photos and sexual contact, then helped a female defendant avoid active warrants and fine deadlines that resulted from convictions over which he was the prosecutor.