“What would you do if you won the lottery?”
How many times have you been asked that question, or asked it of your friends and family members. Some like to take this flight of fancy quite frequently, bolstering it by buying a ticket that gives them a shot at a large amount of money. Some pool together with co-workers for a bigger chance, even if they have to split it.
But what would you do? Pay off all your bills? Take a dream trip to Hawaii? Quit your job? Take all your friends to a Razorbacks’ game and buy them all hot dogs and beer? Sell more drugs?
Say, what?
Daniel Henry Jr.won $100,000 in the lottery last September. But the flash of his yellow Hummer and his black Corvette only served to attract more attention to him in his 2,000 citizen town of Austin, Arkansas in Lonoke County.
Truth is, Henry had already been a suspect of a drug investigation for several years before he even won the lottery. Authorities had identified his suppliers as Chris and Gladis Maldonado, from Kensett, who regularly brought him crystal meth from Mexico. Henry is now charged with four federal drug counts and he is being called the kingpin of a major crystal meth operation.
With meth, 5 to 10 pounds a week sold is a lot.
With the law the way it is, authorities had a lot to seize. They not only got more than 7 pounds of meth and over $100,000 in cash (an interesting coincidence,) they also captured seven vehicles and six motorcycles.
Henry no doubt had shared his lottery winnings with his family, just as most of us would. But he also shared the responsibilities of his drug trade with them. His wife, Rebecca Henry and his sister Jennifer Mize and his mother, Margaret Diann Henry were also named in the indictment.
"This is a happy, happy day for Lonoke County people," said Lonoke County Sheriff Jim Roberson. In fact, when Daniel Henry was arrested on Friday, June 10, 2011, all of the neighbors went outside and applauded.
"The community was glad to get rid of him,” said William Bryant, assistant special agent in charge of the Little Rock office of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. 11 other people were also arrested as well as Henry family member, and three are still being sought.
For some people, no amount of money is enough.
