GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Kalamazoo man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for gun and drug trafficking offenses. He is 27-year-old William Henderson Jr.
According to the Department of Justice, Henderson was arrested on March 15, 2022. He had a loaded .40 caliber pistol in a bag with over 13 grams of cocaine with him. As a felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Shortly before his arrest, Henderson attended a block party on Woodbury Avenue in Kalamazoo, where he openly displayed the firearm to others.
In February 2022, Cornell Gordon of Kalamazoo was shot three times. The government later presented evidence that connected shell casings located at the scene to the gun that Henderson was arrested with. Text message evidence from Henderson’s phone also showed him discussing his involvement in the shooting.
Henderson has previous criminal convictions, including carrying concealed weapons, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and controlled substance possession and distribution.
On Friday, Henderson was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney also ordered Henderson to spend four years on supervised release after his confinement. After hearing the evidence in the shooting, Judge Maloney applied a sentencing cross reference for assault with intent to commit murder.
“Our message to violent offenders is clear: violence is never the answer and can gain you deferral prison time behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office is committed to disrupting the cycle of gun and drug-related violence in our district and communities.”
“The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety would like to thank our federal partners for their continued assistance in our focused approach to reduce gun violence,” said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief David Boysen. “Through this partnership, we are able to identify the most dangerous individuals who are driving the gun violence in Kalamazoo and remove them from our community through federal sanctions. Our community is safer today because Mr. Henderson is in federal custody.”
