PORTLAND — A 44-year-old Skowhegan man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in a marijuana distribution ring and tax evasion.

U.S. District Judge Gene Carter on Friday sentenced Darrell S. Palmer to 14 years imprisonment for two counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and four years imprisonment for filing fraudulent income tax reports in 1986, 1987 and 1988. The prison terms will run concurrently.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thimi Mina said Palmer was a major drug dealer with a wide-scale marijuana distribution network.