Persistent armed fentanyl dealer gets 20-year prison sentence

Seattle - A 34-year-old Seattle resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison for 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 First Assistant 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. A jury convicted Henderson in November 2025, following a three-day trial.

At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that Henderson knew he was dealing to homeless addicts who would struggle to resist the temptation. "The numbers in this case speak volumes." Mr. Henderson had "over 18,000 fentanyl pills, 220 grams of fentanyl powder, and 700 grams of methamphetamine." Selling the fentanyl pills for "a dollar per pill," he could have caused "18,000 potential overdoses in our community." Judge Whitehead said.

"This case exemplifies the effort federal law enforcement is making around crime hotspots in our city, such as the North Aurora emphasis area," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. "The FBI and Seattle Police Department identified this area as one where federal attention could make a difference. This case took significant deadly drugs, firearms, and a habitual criminal off the street."

"Even though Mr. Henderson had multiple chances to change his destructive behavior, he persisted in selling fentanyl to homeless and vulnerable individuals while illegally in possession of stolen, loaded firearms," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Every time Mr. Henderson was arrested, he had even more fentanyl pills than the last, thousands on each occasion, showing he still has not learned his lesson even after repeated arrests. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue dangerous drug traffickers to hold them accountable and keep our communities safe."

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 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.

Henderson's crimes result in a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years: ten years for drug possession counts and a consecutive five years for each of the drug-related firearm counts.

The jury also found that Henderson illegally possessed the firearms due to his previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.

It is that criminal history that particularly concerned prosecutors and those working to fight crime in the North Aurora neighborhoods. "The underlying details of his 2019 conviction for promoting prostitution are quite alarming; Mr. Henderson forced the victim to work as a sex worker by injecting her with heroin and threatening her with death. As the Court is aware, each time Mr. Henderson was arrested in this case, he was arrested with a different female companion. The first female who was with Mr. Henderson during the January 25 arrest, was allegedly involved in prostitution. The third female, who was with him during the September 13 arrest, had been reported as a missing person in Clallam County. At a minimum, this suggests that Mr. Henderson involved others in his drug trafficking activity. At worst, he continued to promote prostitution alongside his drug trafficking business. Under either scenario, his illegal possession of guns endangered his female associates."

Henderson will be on 5 years of supervised release following his prison term.

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.