Highly regarded as one of the best referees in the business, Josh Rosenthal could face just over three years in jail, a $10 million fine and five years probation after entering a guilty plea for owning and distributing 1,356 marijuana plants.

The street value of the drug was said to be over six million dollars.

MMA Junkie was the first media outlet to obtain a copy of the plea agreement from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Oakland and report the news on Wednesday.

If Rosenthal had opted not to make a deal, he could have faced 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and a minimum of five years' probation, MMA Junkie wrote.

The veteran referee, who is also a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, pled guilty to the felony charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute.

The charges stem from when federal agents raided a warehouse in Oakland, California, which was owned by Rosenthal and an associate, which contained all the aforementioned marijuana plants.

Rosenthal is set to appear in U.S. District Court on May 17, where a court of law will ultimately determine his fate.

Subsequently, MMA Fighting has reported that Rosenthal let his referee’s license expire before pleading guilty to the charges.

The third man in the cage for thousands of professional fights, Rosenthal has officiated classics such as Brock Lesnar’s only successful UFC heavyweight title defense against Shane Carwin at UFC 116, Anderson Silva’s Hail Mary submission of Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 and the 2011 “Fight of the Year” between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua.