MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – A U.S. District Court judge in New York sentenced a Yonkers, N.Y., man to life in prison without parole Wednesday for leading a drug ring that focused on Vermont.

Federal prosecutors in southern New York and in Vermont announced jointly the sentence given to Marzell “Score” Underwood, 24.

Judge Jed S. Rakoff said at the sentencing that Underwood had obstructed justice by encouraging others to lie and by falsely testifying himself in a post-trial hearing.

Underwood was convicted on Jan. 29 of four counts accusing him of leading a large drug and heroin ring that served as a pipeline between Yonkers, N.Y., and Burlington.

Prosecutors alleged in a series of trials that Underwood arranged for couriers to deliver drugs by car, bus and plane from Yonkers to Burlington for resale.

The drug ring also sold heroin and cocaine from Underwood’s Yonkers apartment.

Underwood’s sentencing ended a two-year investigation of the organization that led to the conviction of 13 people in New York and Vermont.

AP-ES-07-02-03 1903EDT