PORTLAND — A Biddeford man has been sentenced in federal court to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Joshua Kaufman, 33, was sentenced on Tuesday at U.S. District Court in Portland. He pleaded guilty to the charged on Jan. 23.

Law enforcement seized about 170 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of cocaine from a package shipped to Kaufman from Texas on Feb. 21, 2018, according to court records.

Later that same day, law enforcement agents searched a 2016 Nissan Sentra registered in New York and operated by Kaufman in Portland and seized more methamphetamine. The seized drugs were intended for distribution in southern Maine, according to court documents.

Kauffman’s primary motivation for committing the crime was to support his drug habit, and he has expressed remorse for his illegal acts, wrote his attorney, Jonathon Goodman, in court documents. Goodman asked that Kauffman be enrolled in a drug treatment program while in prison.

“Josh needs significant help battling his addiction to drugs,” Goodman wrote.

Kaufman has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse that began at the age of 13 when he began to “act out” after being sexually abused at a summer camp at age 10, according to Goodman.

Kaufman was sent to an out-of-state boarding school at the age of 14. The school was shut down due to its abusive practices and Kaufman was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of his time there, according to Goodman.

Kaufman has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and has had multiple short-term stays to mental health facilities, Goodman stated.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI; the Portland, South Portland and Lewiston Police Departments; the York County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a press release from Assistant United States Attorney David Joyce.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.