Seattle man convicted of trafficking fentanyl while armed

Seattle – A jury in U.S. District Court in Seattle today convicted 34-year-old Seattle resident Leon Henderson of three counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leon Henderson was arrested by Seattle Police in January, May, and September 2023. Each time Henderson had more than a thousand fentanyl pills, and on two of the arrests he had loaded firearms. The jury deliberated about five hours before reaching the guilty verdict following a three-day trial. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.

In the trial’s opening statement Assistant United States Attorney Jin Kim described how “Leon Henderson on the streets in his car was essentially a mobile office, from which he was selling drugs.”

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on January 25, 2023, Henderson was contacted at his car, parked outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora. He had $2770 cash in his pocket. When the car was searched, law enforcement found around 600 grams methamphetamine, 1,700 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of fentanyl powder, and a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat. Henderson’s DNA was on the pistol and on a second gun found in a bag with the narcotics.

On May 5, 2023, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Henderson was contacted by Seattle Police and was found to have about 7,000 fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash.

And finally on September 13, 2023, Henderson was arrested in Ballard near a homeless encampment. Henderson possessed a backpack with nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills.

In closing argument Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Manca noted that in the Ballard arrest police observed people coming and going to Henderson’s car window to purchase fentanyl pills “like he was selling coffee out of a drive-through.”

Henderson faces a mandatory minimum 20 years for the crimes of conviction. Ten years for the drug possession counts and a consecutive five years for each of the drug-related firearm counts.

Henderson was also found to illegally possess the firearms due to his previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police and the FBI as part of an emphasis on crime in the North Aurora area. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives provided key assistance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.