Two people accused of operating a meth lab in a university apartment last fall were sentenced to federal prison Thursday.

Rodney Backous, 41, and Sally Reedholm, 38, pleaded guilty to drug charges at the federal courthouse in Des Moines as part of a plea bargain.

Backous faces a 10-year term in prison, and Reedholm was sentenced to 21 months, according to court records.

Backous and Reedholm were arrested at 136D University Village in September 1998 for manufacturing methamphetamine in the apartment.

Backous pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Reedholm pleaded guilty to a lesser crime: possession of a methamphetamine processor (pseudoepidepherine) with the knowledge that it would probably be used to manufacture meth.

At the time of arrest, Backous and Reedholm were living in the apartment with Backous’ ex-wife, Laurie Backous, 37, who fled Ames after the arrests and currently is wanted on federal drug manufacturing charges.

Rodney Backous and Reedholm later married after the incident.

Rodney Backous told U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pratt that he should get less prison time because of his extensive cooperation with authorities after his arrest, according to records.

Backous said he met with drug investigators three times after his arrest, composed a 16-page letter detailing what he knew and testified before a grand jury.

He said he had provided information on drug trafficking in Ames, Nevada, Hampton, Mason City, Des Moines and Boone.

Backous’ cooperation, along with an endorsement from prosecutors, minimized his sentence to 10 years in prison rather than the 20-25 years normally mandated by federal sentencing laws, according to court records.