RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA – Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman who pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on March 12, 2021, by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.  

Erin Hunter, age 36, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. 

From approximately July 2019 to May 2020, methamphetamine was brought to South Dakota by others. Hunter then dispersed the methamphetamine to others for use or additional distribution.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota National Guard.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. 

Hunter was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.