PORTLAND — A Rumford man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to conspiring to distribute more than a pound of methamphetamine.

Jospeh Fall, 39, appeared by videoconference in U.S. District Court court on the felony which is punishable by 10 years to life in prison.

According to court papers, the rental car in which Fall and his wife, Corina, were riding on March 27, 2018, was stopped by state police in Illinois.

Fall was driving with a suspended license and police said the individual travel stories of the couple didn’t match.

A drug-sniffing dog indicated there were drugs in the car. A search revealed 920 grams or nearly two pounds of methamphetamine in the car’s trunk.

Fall, who was arrested, told police he and his wife had rented a car then drove from Maine to California, where they bought methamphetamine.

He told police he had planned to sell the second bag of the drug in New Hampshire. He was later released on bail after he was charged in Illinois.

On Dec. 13, 2018, an undercover “cooperating individual” bought 3.5 grams of methamphetamine from Fall in New Hampshire at the direction of authorities.

On Feb. 4, 2019, an undercover officer bought 5.6 grams of methamphetamine from Corina Fall at the couple’s Rumford home.

On Sept. 9, 2019, Joseph Fall was arrested in New Hampshire for operating after suspension as a habitual offender and for possession of controlled drugs.

Fall told police that before his 2018 arrest, he and his wife had made several trips to California to buy methamphetamine to sell in New Hampshire and Maine. He said his wife had grown up in California where she had several contacts from whom they could buy methamphetamine.

Joseph Fall pleaded guilty to the felony drug charge.

Under the plea deal, Fall waived his right to appeal a sentence of 10 years in prison or less.

Corina Fall is awaiting trial on a similar conspiracy charge, according to court records.