A federal judge sentenced Columbus resident David Ector to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and conspiring to launder money, according to prosecutors. Ector, 51, will also serve five years of supervised release. The case grew out of a federal investigation into a drug operation prosecutors said ran for 12 years, beginning in 2012. They said Ector supplied large quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to other traffickers, operating from Columbus’ West Side and earning millions of dollars from drug sales. Investigators found notes on Ector’s phone that they said used coded references to drug deals, along with a ledger listing people by nicknames and recording how much they owed. Prosecutors said Ector traveled to California to obtain drugs in bulk and have them shipped to Ohio. Court records describe a scheme to route drug proceeds through Daze Auto Sales, which prosecutors characterized as a front business. Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles records showed no vehicles bought, sold or owned by the business in the state, according to the information provided in court. Prosecutors also said Ector arranged deposits into multiple bank accounts and acquired properties, including a Columbus apartment building used as a sober-living facility. The judge ordered two of Ector’s properties, five firearms and two watches forfeited. Ector pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and conspiring to commit money laundering. His case was linked by judges to a prosecution of Cordell Washington, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a separate drug-trafficking case involving fentanyl, crack cocaine and heroin. Online court records indicate Ector has appealed his conviction and sentence. His attorney has also filed a motion to withdraw from the case.