A Suffolk man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for the distribution of heroin.

According to court documents, Henry Scott, 43, sold 50 grams of heroin several times to an informant working with the Suffolk Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Law enforcement officials capped the investigation by executing a search warrant at Scott’s residence, where they found an additional 27 grams of heroin along with an AR-15 style firearm with a 60-round drum magazine.

“Drug traffickers in possession of firearms pose a significant threat to our communities,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Investigating and prosecuting these cases remains a top priority in the Eastern District. We would not have been able to achieve this result without the cooperation of our local and federal law enforcement partners. My thanks to the Suffolk Police Department and DEA for their outstanding work on this case.”

Scott pleaded guilty in June to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He could have faced life in prison plus 20 years.

According to court documents, the Suffolk Police Department and DEA used a confidential informant to purchase heroin from Scott on four occasions from Sept. 6-23, 2016. On Sept. 27, 2016, police obtained a search warrant for the defendant, his residence and his vehicle. They found more than 64 grams of heroin in Scott’s car during a traffic stop.

Scott told police during questioning that they would find a pistol in a plastic tub in his mother’s bedroom, a heroin press and the magazine for the pistol, and heroin stored in an Idaho potato box in the refrigerator. Police found all the items in the exact locations described, as well as additional heroin, digital scales, packaging material and ammunition.