Twenty pounds of crystal meth at 100 percent purity has a street value of more than $900,000.

A man who pleaded guilty to drug and firearms charges received a 228-month federal prison sentence Tuesday for his role in shipping nearly 68 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from California to Kentucky, the largest amount of crystal meth prosecuted in a single case in the federal Western District of Kentucky.

Scott Windell Harris, 46, of Allensville, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to possess meth with the intent to distribute, possession of meth with the intent to distribute, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful user or addict of any controlled substance. Harris was arrested in Allensville on Feb. 24, 2015, when law enforcement found 19.6 pounds of 100 percent pure crystal meth, $14,000 in cash, a handgun and drug paraphernalia at a residence where Harris was staying in the Todd County community just across the line from Logan County.

Twenty pounds of crystal meth at 100 percent purity has a street value of more than $900,000.

In the plea agreement, Harris admitted making several trips to California where he would pick up a box of crystal meth, package it and then ship it to Kentucky.

“Law enforcement officials became aware of Harris’ criminal conduct in February 2015, when a package was intercepted at the Louisville hub of UPS,” the plea agreement said. “A search warrant executed on the package revealed a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine being shipped from California to Todd County, Kent.

“State and federal law enforcement officials conducted a controlled delivery of the package that contained approximately 18 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. The package was addressed to Windell Scott, 1565 Russellville Road, Allensville, KY 42204-9035. As the result of this controlled delivery a white male, later identified as Harris, was observed taking possession of the package and placing it inside a black van. Harris then drove the van to the rear of the residence,” the plea agreement said.

Law enforcement arrived and detained Harris and another man.

Harris and his mother both tearfully asked U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers for leniency in sentencing Harris. Harris has 8-year-old twin boys, one of whom has an autism spectrum disorder, according to Harris’ mother’s testimony. She did not disclose her name before speaking to the judge.

Harris said he has always been a user but not a seller of drugs.

“I just ask you, don’t take my life, give me a second chance,” Harris said to Stivers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo Lawless argued for a 270-month sentence due to the quantity of crystal meth that she said was the largest amount ever prosecuted in this district in a single case.

“This particular drug is different from a lot of other drugs,” Lawless said in court. Meth is different because it can be addictive from the first use.

Harris’ mother told Stivers her son had always “been a good boy” but took a bad turn.

“There’s no question that Mr. Harris went down the wrong road,” Stivers said.

Stivers added that he was being punished for bringing “poison” into the state in the form of crystal meth.

“All these drug cases are tragedies,” Stivers said.

“Drugs are the root of this evil,” he said after he imposed the sentence. He ordered Harris, who had just gotten out of a rehab facility at the time he began making his trips between California and Kentucky, to undergo drug treatment while imprisoned.

Following the sentencing, the U.S. attorney’s office issued a statement.

“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug with devastating consequences to users, their families and communities,” stated U.S. Attorney John Kuhn. “This prosecution closes a significant pipeline for dangerous drugs running from California to the streets of Western Kentucky. We are grateful to the many law enforcement agencies whose coordinated efforts assisted my Office in achieving today’s sentence.”

— Follow Assistant City Editor Deborah Highland on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNCrimebeat or visit bgdailynews.com.