Two Pearl River men have been sentenced or pled guilty in separate federal cases involving drug distribution and child pornography, officials announced.

Methamphetamine Possession Plea

Bill Clemons Jr., 37, pled guilty to possession of over 15 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. A federal grand jury indicted Clemons in January 2024.

Clemons’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Regional Agent in Charge Whitney Woodruff of the Bureau of Indian Affairs made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

Child Pornography Sentence

In a separate case, William Henry, 52, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Henry possessed approximately 400 pornographic images of children under the age of 12. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020 and pled guilty in October 2023.

In addition to his prison term, Henry was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims and a $9,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department and the FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted it.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.