A 34-year-old California man has been sentenced to serve 27 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine from San Bernadino, Calif., to Lawrence, interim U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said Tuesday.

Randy Lucero, of San Bernadino, had pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession with intent to distribute meth.

In his plea, Lucero admitted that on Aug. 2, 2007, undercover agents met with him to complete a deal to buy more than 20 pounds of meth. Investigators already had information that for approximately two years co-defendant John Gilmore had been transporting loads from 1 pound to 12 pounds of meth on a monthly basis from California to Lawrence, according to Welch’s office.

U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil sentenced Lucero on Monday.

As a result of the transaction in Shawnee, investigators seized about 26 pounds of meth that had been shipped from California. Gilmore has been sentenced to serve nine years in federal prison.