Overview
Colbert Johnson, known as “Black Just,” appears in federal records as an associate of Kenneth McGriff. His death in a Queens shootout in December 1999 became a key causal event in the later McGriff prosecution.
Connection to Eric Smith
Federal prosecutors alleged that McGriff suspected Eric “E. Money Bags” Smith of involvement in the shootout that resulted in Johnson’s death. The government later proved that McGriff arranged Smith’s 2001 murder in retaliation.
Source Limitations
The federal record used here establishes Johnson’s alias, relationship to McGriff, approximate date and place of death, and the retaliatory significance prosecutors attributed to the event. Many additional biographical claims circulating in street history require separate verification before inclusion.
Evidence Status
A/B. Federal prosecution records establish the core connection; fuller biography remains source-limited.