A 51-year-old man implicated in what at the time was a record drug bust in La Crosse is headed to state prison and faces deportation to Mexico upon his release.

Armando Lara-Nieto of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota was sentenced to 3½ years in prison Monday by La Crosse County Circuit Court judge Scott Horne.

Lara-Nieto has been held in the La Crosse County Jail since Jan. 21, 2022, when he and two others were arrested during a traffic stop on Interstate 90. Police reportedly seized 10.96 pounds of methamphetamine, a record for La Crosse County at the time.

Lara-Nieto was arrested by a Wisconsin State Patrol officer along with Emmanuel Flores Sauceda, 41, Hudson, and Juventino Lara Plancarte, 54, Los Angeles. Lara-Nieto was the driver and told the officer he was unaware that drugs were being transported in the vehicle.

Horne’s sentence includes five years of supervised release. However, defense attorney Brian Severson said, “I believe it’s highly likely that Mr. Lara-Nieto will be deported” after his release from prison.

Lara-Nieto pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver between 10 and 50 grams in La Crosse County and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver between 3 and 10 grams in St. Croix County. Lara-Nieto agreed to have the two prosecutions consolidated.

Three other charges from St. Croix County — maintaining a drug trafficking place, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana — were dismissed.

Lara-Nieto will get 578 days of credit for time already served.

Flores Sauceda pleaded guilty May 4 to the same counts as Lara-Nieto and received the same sentence from Horne.

Plancarte’s case was transferred to federal court. He settled his case before trial and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

Severson acknowledged that probation “is not in the cards” for his client but argued for a lesser sentence. He said while Lara-Nieto knew there were drugs being stashed at his Hudson residence he wasn’t involved in the distribution.

“He thought if he could get rid of his large amount of methamphetamine at his residence, Mr. Plancarte would be on his way,” Severson said.

Severson said Lara-Nieto testified against Plancarte during preliminary proceedings in federal court and was prepared to testify against him at trial.

Horne described Plancarte as the “mastermind” behind the drug delivery to La Crosse but said Lara-Nieto showed poor judgment in tolerating Plancarte’s activities.

“There is no question you should have taken a different course,” Horne said.