SALISBURY — An East Spencer man will serve nearly six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Howard Lynard “Nard” Miller, 35, was sentenced on June 17 to 70 months in prison by North Carolina Middle District Judge William Osteen Jr. After his prison term, Miller will serve 12 months of home confinement and 36 months supervised probation.

As part of a five-month undercover operation, Miller in January 2020 sold 1 ounce of methamphetamine to an informant who was working with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. The informant received $600 from the sheriff’s office and met Miller at 100 Andrews St. in East Spencer, court documents state.

Using the same method in subsequent months, Miller sold methamphetamine to an informant at Food Lion in Spencer and BP gas stations in Salisbury, according to court documents. Miller sold about 336 grams of methamphetamine during the undercover investigation, according to court documents.

Miller initially was arrested in June 2020 and charged with several counts of methamphetamine trafficking.