A man from California is set to serve time in prison following his attempt to smuggle methamphetamine-soaked clothing, including a peculiar cow-patterned onesie, in his luggage on a flight from Los Angeles to Australia. The unusual smuggling attempt has landed Raj Matharu, 31, a three-year prison sentence as reported by Courthouse News Service.

Matharu admitted guilt in June to the charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a detail confirmed by a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Initially, Matharu faced a possible 10-year prison term. However, due to it being his first offense and his involvement being deemed minor in the drug distribution network, prosecutors decided to waive the mandatory minimum sentence. Instead, they recommended a 41-month sentence as outlined in their memorandum, while Matharu’s defense sought a reduced sentence of one year.

In defense documentation, Matharu’s attorney argued that his client’s drug use led him into circles where he was presented with the illicit opportunity to make money. This context was part of the defense’s broader narrative aimed at mitigating the severity of his sentence. Furthermore, the defense highlighted that Matharu is currently excelling academically, having earned a spot on his college’s Dean’s List, which they used to emphasize his potential for rehabilitation.

“Defendant’s drug use led him to people who offered him an opportunity to make money,” his attorney wrote in his sentencing memo.

The defense noted he is currently on the Dean’s List in college.

“Defendant is smart enough to realize he made a terrible mistake and has truly learned a lesson,” the memo stated.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Matharu was traveling on United Airlines Flight 839 from LAX to Sydney on Nov. 6 and checked pink and gray suitcases before heading to the gate. Screening officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent the luggage through an X-ray machine which allegedly revealed an “anomaly,” a criminal complaint said

Officers opened the suitcases that had Matharu’s name on them and found they were filled with “white or light-colored clothing items that were dried stiff and covered in a white residue,” cops wrote.

One of the clothing items was an adult-sized cow pajama onesie. Other items included both men’s and women’s clothing such as socks, sports bras and boxers, the affidavit said.

The residue tested positive for methamphetamine.

CBP approached Matharu at the gate and took him in for an interview. He allegedly admitted the suitcases belonged to him but requested a lawyer and declined to speak further.

Officers believe Matharu “washed” a meth solution into the clothing and then left it to dry in room temperature or a cold environment. Over time, the solution would evaporate and the powdered meth would separate from the shirt to form the white residue.

Matharu’s bags purportedly contained around 71 pounds worth of meth-caked clothing, per the complaint. Cops reportedly extracted about 1 kilogram worth of the drug.

“Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit — as alleged in the facts of this case,” Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District said in a statement. “In the process, they are poisoning communities throughout the world. Law enforcement is committed to fighting drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.”