A Bowling Green man was ordered to serve eight years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that ended when law enforcement made one of the largest seizures of methamphetamine in local history.

Brandon Cherry, 25, was directed Wednesday to serve the sentence after having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess 500 or more grams of meth with the intent to distribute and a count of possession of 50 or more grams with the intent to distribute.

In a plea agreement, Cherry acknowledged he bought meth from Tyrecus Crowe with the intent to sell to other people in Bowling Green.

Eight people were indicted on conspiracy and other counts following an investigation that culminated in 2020 with the seizure in Texas of about 40 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop that year.

Law enforcement learned the drugs had been picked up in California and were en route to Bowling Green, according to court records.

Cherry was arrested Aug. 27, 2020, after a traffic stop at Greenwood Mall that led to a foot pursuit.

Police found a satchel in Cherry’s possession containing a large amount of suspected meth, records said.

Federal prosecutors said law enforcement conducting surveillance of Crowe outside the mall observed Cherry meet with a co-defendant, Andre Graham, to pay off a drug debt for a pound of meth he had obtained the previous day.

All eight people charged in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty. Cherry was the fifth co-defendant to be sentenced.

Cherry’s eight-year sentence was lower than what three of his co-defendants have received, though he had been facing significantly more time behind bars.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Yurchisin and Cherry’s attorney, Travis Lock, were in dispute about the proper calculation of Cherry’s potential sentence based on federal sentencing guidelines, which takes into account a defendant’s actions that led to their criminal charges and the defendant’s prior criminal history.

A sentencing memorandum filed by Yurchisin argued for a guideline range starting at 24 years, four months and topping out at 30 years, five months.

Lock responded that a properly calculated guideline range produced a recommended penalty between 17 1/2 years and 21 years, 10 months in prison, though Lock’s sentencing memorandum argued for a downward departure from that penalty range.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court, Lock said Cherry occupied a relatively minor role in the conspiracy, working essentially as a street-level dealer selling small quantities of meth to users he knew, drugs that he obtained from a single source.

“He had to go back to that source to obtain additional dope to sell, and if that source didn’t have the dope, Brandon Cherry was done for the day or whatever period of time with distributing drugs,” Lock said.

Lock also argued that Cherry’s circumstances warranted a lower sentence, noting that Cherry grew up being raised by multiple relatives in several locations after his mother lost custody of him due to her struggles with drug addiction.

Cherry’s mother, Rachel Wingfield, testified in court Wednesday that Cherry and his brother urged her to get help three years ago for her addiction, and she has remained sober since then.

“Brandon was set up for failure,” Wingfield said. “I realize now I was destroying my kids at the same time I was destroying myself.”

Cherry said he took responsibility for his actions and was willing to undergo drug treatment and take vocational training while incarcerated.

“Regardless of the outcome today, it’s not over for me,” Cherry said. “There is light at the end of the tunnel and I will be a productive member of society when I do get home.”

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Greg Stivers imposed an eight-year sentence, saying Cherry’s relatively young age and willingness to improve his circumstances were encouraging.

Crowe and two other co-defendants, Raymond Derouse and Nathan Jackson, await sentencing.

– Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdaily news.com.