Allen Lee Henson, age 54, from Morganton, N.C., was handed down a 14-year prison term today for his role in methamphetamine trafficking, following the announcement by U.S. Attorney Dena J. King of the Western District of North Carolina. Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy of the Atlanta Field Division of the DEA and Burke County Sheriff Banks Hinceman joined in revealing the sentencing.
The investigation into Henson's illicit activities began in March 2021 by the Burke County Sheriff's Office. It was eventually discovered, through the efforts of an anonymous source, that Henson was purchasing and further distributing methamphetamine within the county borders. Found guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine totaling more than 50 grams, Henson pleaded guilty on November 15, 2023, following his apprehension in a sting involving an undercover officer on February 10, 2022, as described in documents obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Digital scales, drug paraphernalia, and $23,733 in cash were among the items seized during a raid conducted on Henson's residence on April 23, 2021, along with substantial quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana. Henson, presently under federal custody, will be transferred to the Bureau of Prisons to begin his sentence which also includes a consecutive five years of supervised release.
The successful case against Henson was a collaborative effort by the DEA, the Burke County Sheriff's Office, and the Lenoir Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, from the office in Asheville, prosecuted Henson's case. Henson had sold more than 71 grams of methamphetamine for $1,400 in cash to an undercover officer before the seizure of his illegal assets and subsequent sentencing, according to court proceedings
