A Long Beach man was sentenced today to more than 26 years behind bars for his role in a drug ring that imported a powerful synthetic opioid from China used to produce homemade pills that were sold in bulk across the nation.

Christopher Bowen, 32, was found guilty by a federal jury in October of conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute narcotics, including a fentanyl analogue; a designer drug used in “bath salts”; ecstasy; and alprazolam, which is sold under the brand name Xanax. Bowen, who formerly lived in Los Angeles, was also found guilty of possession of acetylfentanyl with intent to distribute, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Evidence presented during the two-day trial in Los Angeles federal court showed that Bowen and other members of the ring obtained pill presses from China that were used illegally to make tablets in labs in a storage unit in Long Beach and a house in Baldwin Park. During the investigation, federal agents seized almost 25 pounds of acetylfentanyl from the organization.

“The opioid crisis in our country has risen to epidemic proportions in large part due to drug trafficking conspiracies such as this one,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna. “These dangerous drugs end up in our neighborhoods and pose a significant public health emergency.”

Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charges, Faces 40 Years in Prison

The leader of the organization—Gary Resnik, 32, of Long Beach—pleaded guilty in August and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.