A Rock Hill man was sentenced to 28 years in prison after being convicted of trafficking methamphetamine. Police say he was manufacturing the drugs in a Rock Hill motel.

Jason Alan Johnson, 33, was recently convicted of trafficking more than 28 grams of methamphetmine and sentenced by Judge Lee S. Alford, according to a release issued Monday by 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett's office.

The charges stem from an incident in February 2011. Johnson and a co-defendant, Corey Seth Catoe, were arrested at a Rock Hill motel after the sheriff's office arrested a third man on on unrelated warrant, the release states. Inside the room, deputies noticed a large amount of disassembled computers and drug packaging materials. They also found about 60 grams of methamphetamine in the process of being manufactured.

A lengthy investigation by the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit resulted in the two being indicted for conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine, dating back to summer 2010.

Law enforcement officials say Johnson rose to the top of a meth trafficking ring in Aug. 2010, when another man had pleaded guilty to manufacturing it and was sentenced to prison, the release states. Johnson, known as "Convict," then became the main meth "cook" and personally sold and traded it, the release states. During the trial, witnesses said Johnson traded in much higher amounts than that.

Catoe pleaded guilty to manufacturing meth at the beginning of the trial and was sentenced to five years in prison suspended upon the service of two years to be followed by two years of probation, according to the release. After an hour-long discussion, the jury found Johnson guilty. Alford handed down the 28-year sentence with no parole.

Johnson's past convictions include possession of a stolen pistol, resisting arrest, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, receiving stolen goods and possession of methamphetamine, the release states. He had also served time on federal prison after he was convicted of a meth and LSD conspiracy in 2003.

"This office will always seek a more severe punishment for methamphetamine cooks that are operating in motels and apartments where innocent lives are placed at risk due to the volatility of the manufacturing process," said Brackett.

He credited the hard work of the drug enforcement unit.