Prison term ordered for 574-pound man

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- A Waterloo, Iowa, man who argued his 574 pounds made him too heavy to go to prison was sentenced to 14 years on federal drug charges.

Michael Washington, 32, pleaded guilty in January to making his home available in October 2001 to store crack cocaine shipped through the U.S. mail from California. He also admitted selling the drug since 1996, Radio Iowa reported.

Washington had asked for home confinement, arguing he was too heavy and his health was too poor to be adequately cared for by prison officials.

However, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, federal judge ruled the prison system will be able to address any of Washington's needs and sentenced him Thursday to 14 years in prison.