FARGO (AP) - A Washington state man who authorities say led a drug trafficking ring has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Jose Antonio Ledesma, 32, of Pasco, Wash., was one of three people sentenced during hearings Friday in federal court. Ten of the 13 people charged in the indictment have been sentenced.

Ledesma pleaded guilty to a charge of operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Prosecutors dropped nine other drug-related charges and offered a 20-year sentence instead of life in prison for his pledge to provide "substantial assistance."

"I had put this life behind and a year and a half later, it got me," Ledesma told Judge Ralph Erickson on Friday.

Ledesma said he was not a violent person and that his children would suffer from having an extended sentence. His attorney, Steven Light, asked the judge for a 15-year prison term.

Ledesma hired "runners" to ship meth from Washington and Montana and bodyguards to accompany him to the Fargo area, where he picked up drug money, authorities said.

In all, Ledesma's ring sold about 15,000 grams of meth for about $320,000, they said.

Bruce Charles Tollefson, 25, of West Fargo, ran much of the day-to-day activities and acted as an enforcer, ordering an attack on another dealer, Thomas Dean Desotel, of Horace, authorities said. Tollefson was sentenced to 18 years and 11 months in prison.

Wade Peter Horn, 38, of West Fargo, and Charles Roger Dewald, 48, of Fargo, were accused of cutting Desotel's throat, a wound requiring 20 stitches to close.

Desotel survived the wound. Horn is awaiting sentencing; Dewald was sentenced to 20 years.