Defendant on lonely mission for ‘truth’

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002 | 10:05 a.m.

Donell Johnson knows his client has robbed casinos, banks and jewelry stores, gambled the money and spent it freely on homes, women and cars. But Johnson swears his client didn't rob the Treasure Island in July 2000.

Johnson should know. He's the one accused. And he intends to prove he didn't do it in a trial slated to start today in the Clark County District Court.

"I'm not going to sit here and say that I've never robbed banks, committed jewelry heists nor robbed casinos throughout the U.S., but what I am saying is that I didn't rob that one at that time," Johnson said in a jailhouse interview prior to his trial.

"The truth," he promises, "will come out."

If he does find 12 people to agree with his version of the truth and find him not guilty, he'll have to find another 12 in California and another 12 in New Jersey and another 12 in Florida and another 12 in Mississippi.

A Memphis, Tenn., native who loved blackjack, craps and the high life, Johnson has admitted to three casino robberies in Las Vegas in 1997 and he is accused of robberies across the country.

"The way I saw it they robbed me first," said Johnson who said he lost some of what he stole, in upward of $150,000 in a weekend. "They took my money, so I just went and took mine back and then some."

But Johnson the self-appointed advocate says Johnson the defendant didn't rob the Treasure Island. That was his star witness and brother, Reginald Johnson, along with someone else, he says.

Reginald Johnson has pleaded guilty to the same robbery of the Treasure Island and others. He currently is serving a life sentence.

What Reginald will say and do in court remains a question. Reginald Johnson was known for his courtroom outbursts including threatening prosecutor Phil Brown. Brown, who declined to comment on the case, will also be prosecuting Donell Johnson.

"Well you never really know what he is going to do," Johnson said. "He knows who he did it with and hopefully he will say. You never know how he is going to react or what he is going to say."

Johnson, 29, faces a long prison sentence -- possibly life -- if he is convicted. He has already cut a deal with federal prosecutors pleading guilty to the 1997 robberies of the New York New York, Treasure Island and Tropicana and was sentenced to 10 years.

Both Johnsons admit to stealing money to live an all most constant vacation-like life for the times they weren't locked up.

Donell Johnson is quick with a smile when telling his story and doesn't make excuses for what he has done -- for the crimes he had admitted, the others he simply says, "Those are the ones they have accused me of."

Johnson worked a regular job in Memphis, and at 24 the robbing started and so did the high life. Police were looking for him, but that didn't stop his jaunts to Las Vegas to gamble. He loves to gamble. In 1997 Johnson said he was considered a high roller at some of the casinos. They just didn't know when he lost the $100,000 or more he brought, he might just find a way to get more. And he didn't mind spending it.

Johnson is accused of chartering a jet after a 1997 robbery in Vegas. He had a home in Mexico and cars.

"I crossed a line and once you cross that line there is no going back to a regular life," he said as he raised his hands showing the handcuffs he wore during the interview.

Johnson said he will fight the charges. He says he never quits, as evidenced when he escaped from a jail in April 2000 until his capture in September that same year.

Johnson was nabbed in Homestead, Fla., when he came into town from Mexico to bail out a girlfriend from jail.

"Well that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do," he said.

But Johnson said he will fight in court all the charges he faces.

Johnson will be representing himself after claiming his court-appointed attorney didn't have any interest in defending him. Running his own trial is not an endeavor Johnson wants, but he said the court refused to delay his trial and appoint him another attorney.

Paul Wommer, a private attorney originally appointed to represent Johnson, said Johnson reacted angrily when he advised him to take a plea bargain.

"I reviewed the evidence and advised him I thought the offer should be accepted," said Wommer, who will be at Johnson's side to answer any procedural questions. "He doesn't respond well to authority, and I guess I represented that authority, and he didn't respond well to me or my advice."

Wommer said Johnson told the judge he wanted to represent himself. Johnson was questioned during a court hearing and deemed competent to be his own lawyer.

At the time that may have seemed like a good idea, but last week Johnson asked for a new attorney and his trial be delayed. Both requests were denied.

Johnson says that the legal system is stacking up against him, perhaps because of his brother.

"He always had a problem with his anger," Johnson said.

Johnson and his brother, Reginald, who previously spoke with the Sun, recount similar versions of their path to crime. They wanted a life that only money would bring and saw robbing as the quickest way to that life.

Reginald Johnson never showed any regret, stating in December 2000: "I don't apologize for what I've done. It's not like I'm going to give the money back."

But Donell Johnson does express regret -- for the robberies he has pleaded guilty to.

"I am sorry for the people who I have scared during the robberies," he said, saying he never hurt anyone in the robberies. "To those people I am very sorry."

But he has another regret.

"I'm definitely sorry I got caught."com