Arturo Mota Velasquez could spend up to the next nine years in prison for being part of a group accused of selling large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Idaho in the late 2000s.

Third District Judge Bradley Ford told the 37-year-old Velasquez Thursday he can ask for parole after serving three years of his nine year prison sentence for a felony charge of trafficking methamphetamine.

Ford also fined Velasquez $10,000 and ordered he pay $100 in restitution costs.

Canyon County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Velasquez on a meth trafficking conspiracy charge in 2007 as part of their investigation into a large scale meth sales ring led by Hector Diaz-Villareal. Detectives say they caught Velasquez with a half pound of meth in August 2006 which he got from Diaz-Villareal’s house, according to Canyon County prosecutors.

A Canyon County grand jury indicted Velasquez in July 2007. Velasquez posted bond after he was arrested but didn’t show for a court hearing in 2008. Another arrest warrant was issued for Velasquez, who was finally caught in May of 2012.

Velasquez eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of meth trafficking in October as part of a plea agreement with Canyon County prosecutors.

Diaz-Villareal is currently serving a five year sentence in a federal prison, after pleading guilty in 2009 to federal charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, according to U.S. District Court records.