A federal appeals court has upheld the 10-year sentence for a Nebraska man convicted of growing marijuana in Lincoln houses with his brothers.

Da Van Cao appealed after being sentenced last year to 10 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

On Wednesday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Coa's sentence followed congressionally-mandated sentencing requirements.

Cao and two of his brothers were indicted for conspiring to grow marijuana. The Lincoln grow operation was discovered in 2010.

Authorities say Cao paid utilities on a house where investigators found more than 1,400 plants.

His brother, My Cao, was sentenced to two years in federal prison. Authorities believe the other brother, Tham Cao, returned to Vietnam.