Rehoboth Beach Man Sentenced to 111 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Charges
WILMINGTON, Del. – Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark sentenced Michael Henry, a 40 year-old Rehoboth Beach resident, to 111 months in prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Henry was on probation following a 2017 State of Delaware sexual assault conviction. Because Henry had been twice convicted of federal gun-possession charges, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm.
On February 12, 2019, Henry’s state probation officers learned that Henry was violating his probation by carrying a gun and selling drugs. On the basis of that information, the probation officers searched Henry’s vehicle and residence. As they were conducting the search, law enforcement located Henry hiding underneath a mattress. Dispersed throughout the residence and vehicle, the officers discovered more than 333 grams of cocaine, 14 grams of marijuana, digital scales used to weigh drugs, and several “trap” soda cans—cans with a hidden compartment used to conceal contraband. Concealed between the box springs and the mattress where Henry was hiding, the officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun. Henry confessed that he had been selling the drugs since October 2018.
David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, commented on the sentence: “Despite having been convicted twice of federal gun charges, and despite being on active probation, this defendant chose to deal drugs while illegally possessing a firearm. Defendant couldn’t hide his person; couldn’t hide his drugs; and couldn’t hide his gun. The message is clear—if you possess a gun and sell drugs we will find you and you will go to jail for a long time.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Delaware State Police, and the Delaware Department of Probation and Parole participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-00068-LPS.
