A longtime Texas meth dealer's run from the law ended with a hefty 180 months behind bars after attempting to ditch bags stuffed with drugs and money, federal prosecutors said. Roberto Rivas, 45, known as Scarface, was sentenced after his guilty plea on January 3, 2023, officials from the U.S. Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.

Rivas' criminal career, which spanned decades starting from when he was a mere 12 years old, included a desperate escape attempt when law enforcement moved to arrest him—he bolted out from his girlfriend's abode, tossed two duffel bags into the brush, which were not lost but found, though his freedom was indeed lost as he landed in cuffs. These bags contained a vast array of narcotics: almost four kilograms of cocaine, over 2.5 kilograms of meth, 133 grams of heroin, 600 grams of marijuana and north of $90,000 cash, disclosed in a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

After pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth, Rivas found himself facing Judge Drew B. Tipton, who determined that Rivas's lengthy history of crime and his substantial role in local drug trafficking merited a 15-year prison stint followed by five years supervised release, according to court hearings and prosecutor statements.

The DEA, HSI, U.S. Marshals Service, sheriff's offices in Live Oak and San Patricio Counties, George West Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department all aided in the investigation that led to the downfall of Rivas – who also admitted to custom-building a secret closet in his house in another one of his maneuvering tactics to hide from law enforcement; meanwhile, his girlfriend was convicted for harboring a fugitive, all these details revealed by authorities.

Scarface will now await transfer to a federal facility, where his long history of slinging meth in Mathis will transition to a stretch of time where bars and watchful guards are the new norm, effectively ending his tenure as a narcotics distributor.