Oklahoma City Man Sentenced To 190 Months For Charges Regarding Firearm Possession In Furtherance Of A Drug Trafficking Crime

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Winford Lamont Henley, age 45, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release for Possession Of Firearm In Furtherance Of Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c) and to 130 months imprisonment for Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e)(2). The sentence on each count will be served consecutively. The charges arose from an investigation by the Eufaula Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

The Indictment alleged that on or about February 12, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States. The Indictment further alleged the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.

United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Combatting violent crime, specifically violent crime involving firearms, is a priority for the Department of Justice. By enforcing federal firearms laws against those who have violent felony convictions and thus have demonstrated their violent and lawless tendencies, we are decreasing the number of firearms in the wrong hands in the communities we serve. This investigation and prosecution allowed us to do just that.” 

This case is consistent with the principles of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence. A key principle of Project Guardian is enhancing coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes to ensure that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.  

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.