A Sanford man was sentenced to a decade in federal prison this week for the possession of fentanyl after police found a bag of the deadly synthetic opioid sticking out of his pocket during a 2023 traffic stop.

Nicholas Delahunt, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland on Tuesday to 120 months in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

The average minimum sentencing guideline for fentanyl possession was 90 months in 2022, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

According to court records, the drug possession charge against Delahunt stemmed from an October 2023 traffic stop, when he was pulled over and found to have been driving with a suspended license.

While speaking with Delahunt, a Sanford Police officer noticed that a large plastic baggie that appeared to contain narcotics was protruding from his sweatshirt front pocket.

The bag was later found to have contained approximately 166 grams of fentanyl. A further search of Delahunt resulted in the discovery of three additional grams of fentanyl, court records show.

Delahunt is a repeat offender and was previously convicted in Maine in 2021 for a state charge of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs.