Some days, nothing sounds better than stuffing your face with burritos from your favorite fast-food chain — and the 14 foil-wrapped packages in Ricardo Renteria’s SUV looked good enough to eat.

But instead of 7-Layer Burritos from Taco Bell or Epic Carne Asada Burritos from Del Taco filled with bean and cheese goodness, authorities said the packages held only one ingredient: about a pound each of methamphetamine.

Renteria, 48, of Colton in San Bernardino County, was arrested in Los Angeles in February 2018 and indicted on charges related to carrying the burrito-shaped meth packages. Authorities said he is a member of a downtown Los Angeles street gang and goes by the nickname "Flaco."

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On Monday, he was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips to 15 years in federal prison following a bench trial in March in which he was found guilty of three felony counts, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

"He has a very long criminal history," Phillips said from the bench. "This was a large amount of methamphetamine — and the way it was packaged, it was clearly for sale."

Renteria was pulled over in February 2018 when Los Angeles police officers said they saw him driving erratically in a white Chevrolet Tahoe. Renteria didn’t have a drivers license and allowed officer to search for his registration and insurance. Failing to find the papers, police determined the vehicle was registered to him properly but found his license was expired.

When they searched the Tahoe, officers discovered 13.7 pounds (6,197 grams) of methamphetamine in the 14 foil-wrapped, burrito-shaped packages. Police estimated the street value was $27,000 to $40,000. They arrested him at the scene. Once impounded, a loaded 0.38-caliber handgun was found in the SUV.

“He wasn’t trying to sell a pound of meth disguised as burritos or trick anyone into thinking they’re real,” said Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesman with the U.S. Attorney's office for the Central District of California. “But he was probably hoping to avoid detection this way.”

At his sentencing hearing, Renteria asked Phillips to "take into consideration (that) I have a family waiting for me — and I apologize for the situation I find myself in."

But Phillips said that a significant prison sentence was necessary "to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant." She also recommended that Renteria undergo a mental and physical health examination while in prison.

He'll also have to serve five years of supervised release following prison and pay a mandatory special assessment of $300.

Information from City News Service was used in this report.