Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

FORT WAYNE –Almarez Henderson, 55 years old, of Fort Wayne was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Henderson was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, in April 2022, officers observed Henderson going in and out of rooms at a local hotel. After leaving the hotel, he was pulled over for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers determined that Henderson’s driver’s license was suspended and that he had an active warrant. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a knife, a 9mm firearm, methamphetamine, and other items consistent with drug distribution.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.