NEW ORLEANS MAN SENTENCED TO OVER 7 YEARS FOR FEDERAL FIREARM
AND DRUG VIOLATIONS
RODNEY HENDERSON, age 38 and a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to 87 months of incarceration by United States District Court Judge Martin L.C. Feldman relating to two federal firearm violations and a drug distribution charge, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2009, HENDERSON sold Homer Robinson a quantity of heroin from an apartment on Severn Avenue in Metairie, Louisiana. Accordingly, HENDERSON was charged with distribution of heroin and Robinson, who has since also pleaded guilty, was charged with possession of a quantity of heroin. Later, after a search warrant was secured by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, HENDERSON was found to be in possession of a Colt .38 caliber revolver that was located inside the bedroom of the Severn Avenue apartment. Since HENDERSON had been previously convicted on January 21, 1993, in the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans for manslaughter, and on July 21, 1998, in the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans for possession of crack cocaine, he was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.
In a separate count, HENDERSON also was in found to be in possession of a firearm by the New Orleans Police Department on June 16, 2009. When approached by officers for questioning in the Hollygrove area, HENDERSON fled and tossed a Ruger model P95 9mm caliber pistol. The pistol was recovered and, because HENDERSON was a convicted felon, he was separately charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In addition to the 87 months of incarceration for all three counts, Judge Feldman ordered that HENDERSON undergo three (3) years of supervised release by the U. S. Probation Office following his release. He was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $300.00.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Violent Crime Unit.
