SPOKANE - A Moses Lake man was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine as part of a trafficking organization.

Michael C. Ormsby, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced the decision in a statement issued Monday.

At the sentence hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Shea found Martin Murillo-Barriga, 36, of Moses Lake, was a leader of a methamphetamine trafficking organization and the organization bordered a primary grade school. The name of the school was not released in the press release.

In April 2012, Murillo-Barriga was charged with five counts of methamphetamine related crimes including intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and intent to distribute. Murillo-Barriga was convicted on all counts, according to Ormsby.

"The sentence imposed today reflects the serious consequences associated with trafficking in methamphetamine, particularly when it is conducted so close to a grade school," Ormsby said.

Murillo-Barriga faced a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of prison but because of the many aggravating factors, the judge imposed a 16.5 year sentence. The imprisonment will be followed by an eight year court supervised release, according to Ormsby. Murillo-Barriga is also prohibited from returning to the U.S. as he is not a citizen. He faces deportation to Mexico as a result of the convictions.

"The law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation should be commended for their efforts in investigating this and other drug trafficking organizations," Ormsby said.

The investigation was conducted in part by the Moses Lake Police Department and the Grant County Sheriff's Office.