A U.S. District Court judge on June 20 sentenced a Fairburn man to 22 years in federal prison for his role in manufacturing methamphetamine.

Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez, aka Juan Garcia,  was caught in the act of making crystal meth when officers raided his home March 8, 2016, U.S Attorney's Office spokesman Bob Page said in a news release.

Fulton County deputies seized 59 pounds of meth from the 47-year-old and, after testing, confirmed the drugs were 99 percent pure, Page said.

Deputies discovered a makeshift laboratory, consisting of a single propane burner and large pot, with various chemicals, car batteries, digital scales, plastic containers, and three to four gallons of liquid meth.

“This defendant sought to unleash an enormous quantity of narcotics into the community without regard for the damage it would have caused,” U.S. Attorney John Horn said.

Fernandez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty March 27 to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

After he serves his sentence, Fernandez-Gonzalez will be turned over to immigration officials.

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