Otis Henry, BZP Trafficking, Georgia 2010

ATLANTA – Otis Henry has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for trafficking over 700,000 pills of Benzylpiperazine (BZP), a synthetic stimulant similar to ecstasy.

According to the evidence presented in court, Henry was a major distributor of BZP and marijuana in the metropolitan Atlanta area from at least February 2010 to October 2010. On October 1, 2010, law enforcement officers obtained a warrant to search Henry’s residence in DeKalb County, where they found approximately 700,000 tablets of BZP hidden in various parts of the house.

The street value of the seized drugs is estimated at $2.8 million. In addition to the BZP, officers also recovered a handgun, 2 pounds of marijuana, $39,000 in cash, and over 150 grams of methamphetamine from the residence.

Henry fled the scene and evaded authorities for over a year before being arrested in Tampa, Florida in January 2012. Agents searched his hotel room and recovered 4 pounds of marijuana and $3,300 in cash.

Henry, 43, of DeKalb County, Georgia, pleaded guilty to the charges on July 24, 2013. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

‘Based on the staggering amount of drugs in the case, the defendant earned every day of his prison sentence,’ said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. ‘To those tempted by the allures of the drug trade like cars, cash, and jewelry – think twice. It’s more likely that you’ll be wearing an orange jumpsuit than a gold watch.’

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the DeKalb County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis, Dahil Goss, Jeffrey Viscomi, and Skye Davis prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the website www.justthinktwice.com.

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