Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Lee Everett Henson, 53, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and the possession of firearms used in drug trafficking. The investigation began after the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a package containing nearly 100 grams of fentanyl, equivalent to over 800 pills. Separately, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics purchased approximately 80 fentanyl pills from Henson using confidential informants.
Henson was arrested with over 700 fentanyl pills, around 40 grams of cocaine, and two firearms. He had previously been convicted of murder in Texas and was on parole at the time.
On September 24, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Henson to 123 months in federal prison for these offenses, followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Aycock imposed a consecutive sentence: 63 months for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and 60 months for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
“Fentanyl is poison, and our office will do everything in our power to see that traffickers go to prison,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Julie Addison should be proud of her work with our state and federal partners to bring a dangerous criminal to justice and to get these drugs off of our streets.”
"Combatting illicit drugs in the mail is a top priority for the US Postal Inspection Service,” said Scott Fix, Inspector-in-Charge of the Houston Division. “The sentence handed down today should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators that we remain steadfast with our law enforcement partners to bring those who engage in this activity to justice.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Howell Addison prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, making neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
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