Kansas City, Mo. ? A drug dealer who could have cut his sentence to 20 years by cooperating with federal prosecutors in cases against others will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Before sentencing Luther C. Henderson on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Gary Fenner asked Henderson if he had indeed rejected the government’s offer.

“Is that true, Mr. Henderson?” Fenner asked.

“Yes, sir,” said Henderson, 27.

Because of that, and Henderson’s criminal history, the judge had no option under federal sentencing rules but to give him a life term.

Henderson had four previous felony convictions in state court, two for distributing drugs near a school. But he had spent little time in prison, in one case doing four months of “shock time” on a five-year sentence. Another time a 15-year sentence was suspended.

Henderson was shot in the face in 2000 after he lunged for the gun of a Kansas City police officer and a fight ensued. Last October he was arrested on a probation violation warrant after a brief car chase, and police recovered more than 50 grams of cocaine and $741 in cash.