COEUR d'ALENE - A central Washington man, who was arrested in Kootenai County, has pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine.

Severiano V. Valle, 49, of Royal City, Wash., admitted that he had 449 grams of the drug in the trunk of his car and was taking it to another individual.

According to a plea agreement, Valle was stopped while driving in Kootenai County on Feb. 8, 2011. Court documents said he had been driving and committed several traffic violations.

During the traffic stop, a drug dog detected the presence of the meth and alerted law enforcement to the stash in the trunk, court documents said. He consented to the search.

The charge is punishable by a minimum prison term of five years, with a maximum term of 40 years, and a maximum fine of $5 million. There also is a minimum term of four years of supervised release.

Sentencing is set for March 26, in front of U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.

The case was investigated by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department and the North Idaho Violent Crime Task Force. Its members include the FBI, the sheriff's department, and Idaho State Police.