Seattle man convicted after selling fentanyl ‘like coffee from a drive-through,’ jury finds

A federal jury in Seattle has convicted 34-year-old Seattle resident Leon Henderson on multiple drug- and firearms-related charges following a series of arrests in 2023 that revealed thousands of fentanyl pills, large quantities of other narcotics, and loaded guns.

US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced the verdict on Wednesday.

After a three-day trial and roughly five hours of deliberation, the jury found Henderson guilty of 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. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by US District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead.

During opening statements, Assistant US Attorney Jin Kim told jurors that Henderson effectively ran a “mobile office” out of his car, using it as a base to sell drugs across Seattle neighborhoods.

According to trial testimony, Henderson was arrested three times in 2023, each time with significant quantities of fentanyl. On January 25, officers contacted him at his car outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora Avenue and discovered $2,770 in cash along with roughly 600 grams of methamphetamine, 1,700 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of fentanyl powder, and a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat.

DNA testing later confirmed Henderson’s DNA on that firearm as well as a second gun found in a bag with the narcotics. On May 5 in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, police again found Henderson
in possession of about 7,000 fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash. Finally, on September 13 in Ballard near a homeless encampment, officers arrested him with a backpack containing nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills.

In closing arguments, Assistant US Attorney Jessica Manca described how, during the Ballard arrest, officers observed a steady stream of people approaching Henderson’s car window to buy fentanyl pills, an activity she said looked “like he was selling coffee out of a drive-through.”

Because of the combination of drug trafficking and firearms offenses, Henderson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, ten years for the drug counts, and two consecutive five-year terms tied to the firearms charges. His unlawful firearm possession convictions stem from prior felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.

The investigation was led by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI as part of a broader effort to address crime in the North Aurora corridor. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also provided key assistance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.