Kansas City, Kan. ? A Lawrence man was sentenced Monday to 27 years in a federal prison for drug trafficking.

Don Marcus Gilbert, 28, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute crack cocaine. He admitted he played a central role in a drug ring that was responsible for distributing kilograms of crack cocaine from 1999 through April 2006 in Lawrence.

Several others also were charged in the case. In his plea, Gilbert admitted that he and fellow defendants Aharlock Fixico and Brandon Scott Walker obtained cocaine or crack cocaine and distributed it along with others. Gibler, Fixico and Walker operated out of their Lawrence houses.

Police used confidential informants to make a series of controlled purchases of crack from the defendants. Search warrants were served at seven residences and a hotel room. The investigation was conducted by Lawrence Police and Douglas County Sheriff’s officers.

Sentencings for Fixico and Walker are pending. Also still to be sentenced are the other defendants: Kathryn Alexander, John Burke Holt, Ryan Lavell Green, Carl Ray Roubison, James William Beltch, Lonnie Ray Teichman and Ryan Ezell Fowler.