FARGO, N.D. — A man who admitted forming a ring that supplied drugs across North Dakota and Minnesota has been sentenced to federal prison.

Noah Bergland, 27, of Roseau, Minn., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Fargo, N.D., on Monday to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to forfeit $250,000 to the government — money he made dealing drugs from 2008 through last year.

Bergland a year ago pleaded guilty to charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering conspiracy. He could have faced more than 21 years in prison had he not cooperated.

Authorities said Bergland conspired with 30 others to bring cocaine, heroin, marijuana and Ecstasy from the Minneapolis area to various cities in Minnesota and North Dakota, including as far west as Williston. The other defendants have reached deals with prosecutors and only a handful is still waiting to be sentenced.

Sentences for the other defendants have ranged from supervised probation to 15 years in prison, a term handed down in January to Brian Briggs, 36, of Grand Forks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Myers told the Grand Forks Herald that Briggs lied about some information and did not cooperate as much as Bergland and the others.

Authorities dubbed the drug conspiracy investigation Operation Noah's Ark, after Bergland. The investigation included federal officials with Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as state crime agents from North Dakota and Minnesota and local law enforcement.

"This investigation is a terrific example of how federal, state and local law enforcement were able to work closely together to successfully dismantle a major narcotics smuggling organization," Michael Feinberg, a special agent in charge of the regional office of Homeland Security Investigations, said in a statement.