A Lopez Island man caught with more than five ounces of methamphetamine in his home, along with an assortment of packing materials and $3,300 in cash, was sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to a drug-related felony offense.

On Jan. 3, Jose Alberto Perez Hernandez, 36, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to one count of possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine, a Class B felony. He was ordered to serve 366 days in prison, and to pay $4,200 in fines and fees, under the sentence handed down by Judge Don Eaton.

Hernandez was taken into custody Nov. 19 after deputies served a search warrant at his home shortly before noon.

According to court documents, officers seized 5.5 ounces of meth, roughly two-thirds of which had been divided into one-gram bags, and more than 1,000 small plastic bags and $3,300 cash at the time of the arrest. Hernandez was credited with time served since his arrest.

According to court documents, Hernandez had no prior felony convictions but was not eligible for a so-called drug-offender sentencing alternative, which typically results in lighter penalties, because of the amount of methamphetamine seized at his Fisherman Bay Road home, which he and his brother reportedly share. Authorities estimate the “street-value” of the seized meth at $15,000.

Hernandez reportedly told officers he was paid $800 a month, by people he did not name, to keep a bundle at his home which he later discovered contained drugs, packing materials and cash. He claims those individuals came to the home and dealt its contents while he was not there, according to court documents.

A Class B felony, possession of methamphetamine carries maximum penalties of 10 years in prison, a $25,000 fine, or both; however, the standard range of sentencing set by the state is 12-20 months in prison.