TROY — A Sidney man will be spending time in prison for his involvement in a ploy to send marijuana through the mail across the country.

Darrell M. Branscum, 34, last known address in Sidney, was sentenced to 18 months in prison Tuesday in Miami County Common Pleas Court, according to the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office.

Branscrum was originally arrested in February on a third-degree felony charge of possession of marijuana. He was indicted in Miami County Common Pleas Court on a third-degree felony conspiracy charge in May, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of drug possession in October.

This case was in connection with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office detectives, working with United States Postal inspectors, intercepting three packages from California destined to addresses in Piqua and Sidney in February.

According to previous reports from the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, they received a tip from the public about the alleged activity. The sheriff’s office then obtained search warrants and uncovered 5 pounds of pot in two of the packages that they searched.

The marijuana was noted as being recreational marijuana and not medical marijuana from California.