NATCHEZ — A man who pleaded guilty to possession of approximately 8 pounds of cocaine was sentenced Tuesday to serve 25 years in prison.

Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders delivered the sentence to Joe Wanynide Rounds, 38, of Bedford, Texas.

Rounds pleaded guilty to possession of more than 30 grams of schedule II controlled substance-cocaine and intent to distribute, which is considered a felony. Rounds had 3,694.7 grams, or 8.14 pounds of cocaine in his possession at the time of the arrest Assistant District Attorney Walt Brown said.

At Sanders’ request, Natchez-Adams County Metro Narcotics Commander David Lindsey took the witness stand to present the recovered cocaine before Sanders delivered the sentence.

“The court would like to see (the evidence),” Sanders told Brown.

Lindsey unzipped a black evidence bag and unloaded on the stand four gallon-sized plastic bags, each containing cocaine in brown paper bags.

The street value of the amount of cocaine is an estimated $250,000 to $350,000, Lindsey said.

Rounds said he understood the maximum penalty for his charge is 30 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and the minimum charge is 10 years in M.D.O.C.

Before reading the sentence, Sanders confirmed with Rounds that he was convicted of manslaughter in Adams County in 1993 and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in Texas in 1999.

Brown added Rounds also had a drug conviction in Louisiana.

Metro units and Adams County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Rounds after he was pulled over for driving a stolen 2009 black Cadillac Escalade.

While investigating the stolen vehicle charge, officers seized the cocaine and found three-fourths ounce of crack cocaine, $10,480 in small bills, eight gallons of illegal moonshine whiskey, marijuana buds and packaging equipment such as scales and rubber bands alongside the cocaine.

Natchez Police Department and the Concordia Parish’s K-9 Unit officer assisted in the arrest.

Before he received his sentence, Rounds, who was previously out on a $200,000 bond, asked Sanders if he could have time to get his home and accounts in order and see his three children before he was taken into custody.

Sanders denied his request.

Rounds was handcuffed and escorted to the county jail after receiving his sentence.