Beeville man sentenced for meth trafficking following high-speed pursuit

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 39-year-old man has been ordered to prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of meth.

William Wilson III pleaded guilty May 19.

U.S. District Judge David Morales ordered Wilson to serve 90 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

On Jan. 9, authorities observed Wilson traveling on a motorcycle at 96 mph in a 75 mph zone. They activated their emergency lights, prompting Wilson to move into the right lane. However, Wilson failed to stop and led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit.

The pursuit continued until Wilson lost control of the motorcycle and crashed near the San Patricio-Bee County line.

While waiting for an ambulance to arrive, authorities discovered a fully loaded pistol in Wilson's jacket pocket.

Authorities subsequently searched Wilson's backpack and discovered 48.6 grams of meth and two fully loaded .38-caliber magazines. Law enforcement also discovered approximately 3.43 grams of meth in his front pants pocket.

He remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Texas DPS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine K. Tucker prosecuted the case.