A Butler man was released on time served in Butler County Court on Thursday after being charged with having 10 pounds of marijuana mailed across the country.

Eric T. Negri, 33, was sentenced to three to 12 months in the Butler County Prison, and was paroled immediately on time served by Judge William Shaffer. He was also ordered to undergo 12 months of county probation following his parole and to pay court costs.

Negri previously pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia on Oct. 4.

He was initially charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance after an investigation by the state police on Nov. 26, 2013.

The paraphernalia charges were later added, and the remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea.

Negri was charged alongside his wife, Kristen Negri, 34, after a suspicious package, shipped from California addressed to a home on Route 38 in Oakland Township. Received in Butler County two days before the Thanksgiving holiday in 2013, it was found to contain 10 pounds of marijuana.

Postal inspectors became suspicious of the package and a state police drug-sniffing dog was called in and “alerted” on the parcel, which originated from Sacramento.

A federal search warrant was executed, because the U.S. Mail falls under federal jurisdiction, and when opened, the package was found to contain 10 pounds of marijuana.

The package was subsequently resealed for a controlled delivery, with police conducting surveillance, and the package was then delivered to a friend of the Negris, police said.

In exchange for receiving the parcel, police said the recipient “was to get money” from the Negris.

Once the controlled delivery was made, a search warrant was served to the addressee at his house. The recipient identified Eric Negri “as arranging for the parcel to be delivered,” according to court documents.

The recipient, who was not charged, would eventually assist in the investigation.

Following the controlled drug delivery at the Negri home on Spring Run Road, police said a pound of marijuana and other contraband, including a grinder and smoking pipes were found.

Additionally, the search turned up $1,400 in currency and “owe sheets,” which are commonly used to record drug transactions, police said.

Kristen Negri was facing the same charges, including misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. However, the possession with intent and conspiracy charges were later withdrawn and she was entered into the county Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program for 12 months.