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A South St. Paul man was sentenced to nine years and two months in prison Wednesday after he was found last March with almost a pound of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a traffic stop in Clarks Grove.

Jeremy Jake Clarin, 42, pleaded guilty in January to one count of first-degree meth possession tied to the incident.

Clarin’s vehicle was pulled over March 28, 2022, after exiting Interstate 35 into Clarks Grove. A Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped the vehicle based on a reported narcotics trafficking investigation.

An agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had reportedly learned Clarin and a passenger were traveling to California to obtain a multi-pound quantity of meth to be brought to the southern Minnesota area.

The BCA agent determined with GPS tracking information that Clarin’s cell phone was in the San Bernardino and Cajon, California, area on March 25 and then was tracked through Nevada using GPS and license plate reader information. Authorities started physical surveillance of the vehicle in the Des Moines area and continued it until the vehicle was pulled over in Clarks Grove.

A K-9 search of the vehicle revealed a bag of 436.7 grams of crystal meth concealed in the trunk under carpet in the rear wheel well. Authorities also found a hypodermic needle with a clear liquid consistent with meth, as well as marijuana.

Clarin will receive credit for 324 days already spent in jail as of Tuesday and the mandatory $50 fine.