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A Port Arthur man found with nearly a half-kilo of meth is facing two decades in jail following a guilty plea Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone sentenced Michael Shaw, 40, to 235 months in federal prison.

Following court, Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei connected Shaw and methamphetamine, saying meth remains one of the greatest threats to the health and safety of East Texans.

“The sentence in this case is directly proportional to the amount of methamphetamine Mr. Shaw intended to traffic, and thus proportional to the harm he was willing to inflict upon the Jefferson County community,” Ganjei said.

According to information presented in court, Shaw was arrested Oct. 6, 2020, after Jefferson County Narcotics Task Force officers executed a search warrant at his residence and found 454 grams of pure methamphetamine.

The drugs were hidden inside an upholstered chair in Shaw’s living room, Ganjei said.

Officers also found four firearms locked in a safe inside the master bedroom.

Shaw was indicted by a federal grand jury April 7 and charged with the drug trafficking violations.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.