Bristol man sentenced to 20 years in prison for meth and firearms convictions

A Bristol, Virginia man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute crystal ice methamphetamine and for illegal possession of a firearm.

William Everett Himes was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Wednesday for possessing and intending to distribute crystal meth and illegally possessing a firearm. (Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Office)

William Everett Himes, 38, was convicted after pleading guilty in June 2021 to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal ice methamphetamine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, the charges stem from a Washington County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office traffic stop in January 2020, where Himes fled from police and was later found to be in possession of crystal ice methamphetamine. A loaded .45 caliber firearm and more crystal ice methamphetamine were recovered from the front passenger seat of Himes’ vehicle. During Himes’ arrest, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony drug and violent crime convictions, including two 2012 felony convictions in Bristol, Virginia, related to methamphetamine.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Senior Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.