Even though a search a couple's Missouri home did not turn up any evidence, the 57-year-old husband was still sentenced to serve more than 22 years in a federal prison. The sentence stems from drug charges related to the making of methamphetamine.

According to a special assistant U.S. attorney, the government started to suspect that the 57-year-old was making meth. This came after he was already on the government's radar after previously serving time for attempting to manufacture the drug.

In this recent case, officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency looked at the pill logs from pharmacies and noticed that the man and his wife were buying large quantities of pseudoephedrine pills.

After building a case against the couple, authorities arrived at their home to pick them up on an indictment. However, once inside the home, there was no evidence to be seized. Authorities are claiming this is because the husband had quickly washed a small meth lab down the sink.

Either way, the husband was charged and later sentenced on one count of conspiracy to manufacture 50 grams or more of meth, and seven counts of possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacturer.

He was sentenced to serve 22 years in prison, and his wife was sentenced to two years on a conspiracy to manufacture meth charge.

Authorities also claim that the couple was not the only people involved in this meth conspiracy, and that there were others who also worked to get pseudoephedrine pills between June 2008 and August 2009 with the intent of making meth. In total, it's believed there were 105 pseudoephedrine purchases made during this conspiracy.

Source: Southeast Missouri, "Poplar Bluff man sentenced to 22 years on drug charges," Feb. 15, 2012