Las Vegas Felon Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who distributed methamphetamine and unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced today to eight years and two months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.
In August 2021, a federal jury found Donnell Henry (36) guilty of one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey presided over the four-day trial and sentencing hearing.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on October 29, 2019, Henry distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Three weeks later, on November 19, 2019, he possessed a multi-caliber pistol (and unlawfully sold that pistol). Henry is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions in California state court for first degree burglary and maintaining a place to sell narcotics.
Co-defendant Ozzie Morrison pleaded guilty in May 2021. He was sentenced to two years in prison on August 11, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF, DEA, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanee Smith and Kimberly Sokolich prosecuted the case.
This case was part of Operation Nora, a joint investigation by the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Central Intelligence Unit, focusing on the Sherwood Forest and Naked City areas in Las Vegas. Operation Nora was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
This case was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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