A California man convicted of conspiracy to distribute large volumes of methamphetamine in Mississippi has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Following a conviction at trial on October 31, 2018, Frederick Arayatanon, 35, of Westminister, California, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to serve life in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

During the course of a drug investigation that began in 2017, DEA agents discovered that Arayatanon was shipping large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Tuyen Ngoc Le in Biloxi, Mississippi. Once Le received the methamphetamine shipments, she would give them to Demetrius Mason for distribution in the Ocean Springs area.

Le pled guilty for her role in the drug conspiracy and was sentenced by Judge Guirola to serve 262 months in federal prison. Mason pled guilty for his role and was sentenced by Judge Guirola on May 31, 2018 to serve 292 months. Both Le and Mason testified as witnesses for the United States during Arayatanon’s trial.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shundral H. Cole and Kathlyn Van Buskirk.