A Tennessee man has been sentenced to to the Missouri Department of Corrections following a guilty plea and sentencing hearing.

29-year-old Manuel Eduardo Pinto-Cordero, of Antioch, Tennessee, was sentenced to twenty years on three counts of the class A felony of Trafficking in the First Degree, ten years on the class B felony of Trafficking in the First Degree, and five years on the class D felony Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Charges were brought after the Missouri State Highway Patrol pulled a vehicle over on Interstate 70 for failing to drive within the right lane of the highway. Pinto-Cordero was a passenger and owner of the vehicle. While the corporal was conducting his investigation for the traffic violation, he became suspicious that other criminal activity was going on.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and approximately 4.8 pounds of fentanyl, 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of cocaine, 264 pounds of marijuana and 3 grams of heroin were located. Authorities also located approximately $7,432.

Following his arrest, the defendant admitted that he was being paid $5,000 to traffic the drugs to Tennessee.

Photo courtesy of Lafayette County Prosecutor Kristen Hillbrenner