A Fort Wayne man who pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug charges has been sentenced to 180 months in prison by a district court judge.

The Crime and the Arrest

Almarez Henderson, 55, was arrested in April 2022 after a traffic stop by the Fort Wayne Police Department. Officers observed him going in and out of rooms at a local hotel, where he was suspected of selling methamphetamine. During the stop, they found out that he had a suspended driver’s license and an active warrant. A search of his vehicle revealed a knife, a 9mm firearm, methamphetamine, and other items consistent with drug distribution.

The Plea and the Sentence

Henderson pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the drug charge, and a consecutive 5 years for the gun charge. On Thursday, January 19, 2023, he was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

The Investigation and the Prosecution

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make the neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy in May 2021, strengthening PSN based on four core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in the communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.