Prosecutors say 10 people, including a U.S. mail carrier, have been collectively sentenced to more than 49 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs in Tennessee, Arizona and California.
The U.S. attorney's office says members of the drug ring pleaded guilty last month to distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and oxycodone.
The organization was accused of using the U.S. Postal Service to ship drugs from Arizona and California to Memphis for distribution.
One of the members, 52-year-old Frederick Burton, worked as a mail carrier in Memphis. He arranged to have express mail packages containing drugs mailed to addresses on his mail route. Burton would give those packages to members of the drug ring, in exchange for cash. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
The sentences were announced Monday.
