A Tomahawk man will spend more than 17 years behind bars for his role in a methamphetamine operation.

41-year-old Bernard W. Robertson was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to 211 months in prison. Prosecutors say he conspired with others to possess pseudo ephedrine in order to make meth.

Robertson's arrested was part of an ongoing investigation of meth labs in Merrill. 16 people have been convicted in more than a dozen cooking operations between 2008 and 2010.

Robertson received an enhanced sentence because he tried to flee police who tried to stop a vehicle he was driving in May of 2009.

He reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.