Leon Henderson, 34, a Seattle resident, has been convicted on multiple charges including drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession following a three-day trial in U.S. District Court. He was found guilty of three counts of drug possession with intent to distribute, and two counts each of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court records show that Henderson was arrested three times in 2023, each time found with large quantities of fentanyl pills and, on two occasions, loaded firearms. Evidence collected included thousands of fentanyl pills, cash, and firearms. In an official statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jin Kim described Henderson’s operation as “a mobile office, from which he was selling drugs,” highlighting the scale and organization of his activities.
In an official statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Manca described Henderson’s September arrest as “like he was selling coffee out of a drive-through,” referring to the sale of fentanyl pills at a Ballard homeless encampment. Trial records also linked Henderson to DNA evidence found on a pistol and a second firearm stored in a bag containing narcotics.
Henderson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, including 10 years for drug possession and consecutive five-year terms for each drug-related firearm charge. The case was investigated by Seattle Police and the FBI, with support from the DEA and ATF. He was already prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.
A sentencing date has not yet been set by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead. Federal prosecutors leading the case included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.
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