Connecticut Man Carlyle Henry Sentenced to 5 Years for Armed Cocaine Trafficking

A 39-year-old New Haven man will spend five years in federal prison for armed cocaine trafficking after a high-speed crash on the Yale University campus led to his arrest last year.

Carlyle Henry, 39, of New Haven, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for a drug trafficking and firearm possession offense. Henry was arrested on October 12, 2022, after Yale Police found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine, packaged heroin and fentanyl, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in his vehicle.

Henry was detained since his arrest and pleaded guilty on November 15, 2022, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. His criminal history includes state convictions for firearms possession and narcotics distribution offenses, as well as a federal narcotics conviction in 2006 for which he received a 50-month sentence.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Yale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark prosecuted the case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program aimed at reducing violent crime.

PSN brings together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify and address the most pressing violent crime problems in the community. The program focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The sentence handed down to Henry is a stark reminder of the consequences of engaging in armed cocaine trafficking. As the Grimy Times continues to investigate the inner workings of the armed trafficking trade, one thing is clear: those who choose to traffic drugs, armed or not, will face severe punishment.

The Connecticut case is just one of many high-profile prosecutions in the state’s ongoing effort to combat the opioid crisis and reduce violent crime. As the Grimy Times remains committed to exposing the darkest corners of the American justice system, we will continue to bring you in-depth coverage of these cases and the individuals who bring them before the courts.