GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Kalamazoo resident William Henderson Jr., 27, was handed a 13-year sentence after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Henderson’s sentence also includes 4 years of supervised release following his prison term. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, emphasized the office’s commitment to halting gun and drug-related violence.
On March 15, 2022, Henderson was caught with a loaded .40 caliber pistol and over 13 grams of cocaine during a block party in Kalamazoo. As a felon, he was barred from possessing firearms. His possession of the firearm linked him to Cornell Gordon’s shooting that occurred earlier in February 2022.
U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney applied a sentencing cross reference for assault with intent to commit murder, citing Henderson’s risk to public safety and his numerous prior convictions, including previous felonies for carrying concealed weapons and controlled substance possession and distribution.
The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Crime Reduction Team, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) collaborated on the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky prosecuted the case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a joint federal, state, and local initiative aimed at reducing violent crime.
ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) was instrumental in tracing the firearm to multiple crime scenes, aiding in the investigation’s success. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief David Boysen expressed gratitude for the federal partnership that removed a dangerous individual from the community and made it safer.
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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