Randall Lane Scott, 49, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gainesville following a guilty plea to charges of manufacturing methamphetamine and storing chemicals and equipment for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine.

Scott was arrested in April 2002 by state and local drug enforcement agents after he arrived at an Oakwood mini-warehouse where ingredients for making methamphetamine were discovered.

Authorities say Scott was involved with meth lab operations in Hall, Lumpkin, Jackson and Cherokee counties, and taught others how to manufacture meth.

Scott entered a guilty plea Oct. 31. His 25-year-old son, Jeremy Scott, previously was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the case. Three other co-defendants, Paul Belflower, 53, of Dahlonega, Michael Graham Seagraves, 40, of Flowery Branch and Bradley Thomas Veach, 28, of Bremen, Ala., got sentences of 20 years, 12 years and 10 years, respectively.

U.S Attorney’s Office spokesman Patrick Crosby said the storage unit in Oakwood contained rock salt, drain cleaner, muriatic acid, toluene, rubber hoses, anhydrous ammonia, coffee filters and ephedrine. All are believed to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Lumpkin County Sheriff Mark McClure said Scott was instrumental in teaching people in his jurisdiction how to run clandestine meth labs.

"To this day, many of the methamphetamine manufacturers whom we arrest still talk of Scott as one who taught them the manufacturing process," McClure said in a statement.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said in a statement that it was clear that Scott and his associates were responsible for a large number of meth labs seized in Northeast Georgia.

"This sentence removes a very dangerous teacher from our community," Nahmias said.