A Barren County man who was arrested two years ago in a car that contained more than three pounds of methamphetamine pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal drug charges.

Donnie Ray Johnson, 42, of Glasgow, entered the guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green to charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and conspiring to possess meth with the intent to distribute.

Johnson was one of five people indicted in 2023 by a federal grand jury following an investigation that began with a traffic stop on U.S. 68 in Barren County on July 7, 2023.

A Kentucky State Police trooper pulled over a 2020 Hyundai Kona for a traffic violation that was driven by Donnie Johnson and carrying Kiatavion Johnson.

According to a federal criminal complaint, neither person in the vehicle provided registration or insurance paperwork for the car, and a police dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle while conducting a search.

Troopers searched the interior and found a plastic grocery bag in the glove compartment that contained about three pounds of meth packaged in three gallon-sized plastic storage bags, according to federal court records.

“Kiatavion (Johnson) admitted to placing the suspected methamphetamine in the glove box,” the federal criminal complaint stated. “Donnie Johnson denied all involvement with the drugs and stated he was only giving Kiatavion Johnson a ride.”

In a copy of the plea agreement filed Thursday, Donnie Johnson admitted to being part of a conspiracy with others to distribute 500 or more grams of meth from March 6, 2021, to July 7, 2023.

The agreement said that the meth recovered by police had been provided by Kiatavion Johnson by Ronnie R. Johnson, with Donnie Johnson driving Kiatavion Johnson for purposes of distributing the meth to another person.

According to federal court records, Kiatavion Johnson pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy, distribution and possession charges related to meth and a charge of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and was given a sentence of time served.

Another co-defendant, Dennis Mobley, pleaded guilty to taking part in the conspiracy and two two counts of meth distribution and was sentenced earlier this month to 60 months in prison.

Ronnie Johnson and Joseph Hester also face conspiracy and distribution charges in the case, with Ronnie Johnson charged with three counts of distribution and two counts of possession with intent to distribute meth.

Donnie Johnson will return to court May 13 for sentencing.