Lavar William Henderson, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Maryland 2023

Greenbelt, Maryland – Lavar William Henderson, a 46-year-old man from Richmond, Virginia, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the United States Park Police, and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to the guilty plea, on October 26, 2022, Henderson illegally possessed a 9mm pistol, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. On that day, United States Park Police officers were alerted to be on the lookout for a black Jaguar driven by a man wearing a red hat, who was pointing a firearm with a red laser at other motorists.

A car matching that description passed a crash scene and officers at the scene followed, then conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Henderson was arrested.

Multiple witnesses observed Henderson point the Sig Sauer pistol equipped with a laser at motorists that day. Witnesses were driving in a truck on Interstate 495 near Forestville Road in District Heights, Maryland. While doing so, Henderson pulled his car alongside their truck and flashed a firearm with a laser attachment at them. Henderson then pulled directly in front of the victims’ truck and came to a complete stop before proceeding again.

Henderson then got out of his care and began screaming at the victims. Henderson also began beating on the window of their truck, asking the victims if they wanted to fight. Henderson then went back to his black Jaguar and pulled a handgun from inside and pointed it at the window of the truck. The handgun had a red laser. Henderson then got back inside of the black Jaguar and drove away at a high rate of speed.

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.

U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF, the U.S. Park Police, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Kibbe, who prosecuted the case.

Related Federal Cases