A major federal drug case, hidden from the public for nearly three years, has just been unsealed, revealing an elaborate meth trafficking operation involving a Guam man now facing life in prison. 

Patrick Steven Alvarez has pleaded guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine in 2021. 

According to his plea agreement, federal agents learned Alvarez ordered the drugs from a supplier here on Guam and sold about two ounces for $7,000 on Feb. 26 of that year.

Just weeks later, in march 2021, law enforcement raided his Yigo residence, what they found went far beyond meth. 

Officers uncovered marijuana, six handguns, and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition. They also discovered nearly $20,000 in cash stuffed in a cereal box and brass jar, and mutilated bills scattered across a table.

But the most shocking discovery, over $216,000 in cash buried in the yard, hidden inside a hard case wrapped in a trash bag. Outside the home, marijuana plants were also growing.

Investigators say a 2021 Toyota Tacoma, high-end Louis Vuitton bags, firearms, ammunition, and a money counter were all purchased with drug proceeds. 

Alvarez was also a known user of controlled substances, which legally barred him from possessing weapons.

He entered a guilty plea back in June 2021, but the case remained sealed so Alvarez could provide what prosecutors described as substantial assistance, possibly helping to build cases against others.

Court documents show the case was kept under wraps to protect Alvarez's safety and avoid tipping off targets in an ongoing investigation. But last week, on April 30, a Magistrate Judge Michael Bordallo granted the motion to unseal, with prosecutors stating there was no longer a need for secrecy.

Alvarez is now awaiting sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 7. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.