JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A Mississippi sheriff, who was arrested in connection to a federal drug conspiracy sting, pled not guilty to the charges against him.

According to court documents, Humphreys County Sheriff Bruce Williams pled not guilty to three counts in the indictment.

Last week, federal authorities announced indictments against 20 people, including 14 current or former Mississippi Delta law enforcement officers, that allege the officers took bribes to provide safe passage to people they believed were drug traffickers.

The yearslong investigation swept across multiple counties in the Mississippi Delta region of Mississippi and Tennessee. Two Mississippi sheriffs, Washington County Sheriff Milton Gaston and Williams, were among those arrested.

Some bribes were as large as $20,000 and $37,000, authorities said at a news conference.

The indictments say law enforcement officers provided armed escort services on multiple occasions to an FBI agent posing as a member of a Mexican drug cartel. The indictments allege the officers understood they were helping to transport 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of cocaine through Mississippi Delta counties and into Memphis. Some of the officers also provided escort services to protect the transportation of drug proceeds.

Gaston and Williams are alleged to have received bribes in exchange for giving the operations their “blessing,” one indictment said. It also alleged that Gaston attempted to disguise the payments as campaign contributions, but did not report them as required by law.

Nineteen of the 20 people indicted are also charged with violating federal gun laws.

In addition to the two sheriffs, those charged include: Brandon Addison, Javery Howard, Truron Grayson, Sean Williams, Dexture Franklin, Wendell Johnson, Marcus Nolan, Aasahn Roach, Jeremy Sallis, Torio Chaz Wiseman, Pierre Lakes, Derrik Wallace, Marquivious Bankhead, Chaka Gaines, Martavis Moore, Jamario Sanford, Marvin Flowers and Dequarian Smith.

Court records show that the federal defender’s office is representing 16 of the 20 people charged, including the two sheriffs. That office did not immediately respond to an after-hours email Thursday evening seeking comment on the charges. Attempts to reach the other four at phone numbers listed for them were unsuccessful.

The Humphreys County Board of Supervisors appointed Mickey Foxworth as the interim sheriff last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.