Jury Convicts Felon Of Drug Trafficking And Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm

 LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal jury convicted a Las Vegas man Monday of distribution of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on October 29, 2019, Donnell Henry (35) 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. Henry is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions in California state court for first degree burglary and maintaining a place to sell narcotics.

After a four-day trial, the jury found Henry 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 trial and scheduled sentencing for November 29, 2021. At sentencing, Henry faces: a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the distribution of methamphetamine charge; and a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm charge.

Co-defendant Ozzie Morrison pleaded guilty in May 2021. U.S. District Judge Dorsey sentenced him 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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanee Smith and Kimberly Sokolich are prosecuting 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.