United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that six members of a drug conspiracy based out of the Martin, South Dakota, area and the Pine Ridge Reservation have been convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Four of the members have been sentenced in U.S. District Court by District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, while two more await sentencing. One additional person will stand trial in May.
Shadow Jensen, age 32, Wanblee, South Dakota, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; Beau Imitates Dog, age 40, Martin, South Dakota, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; Frank Milk, age 44, Wanblee, South Dakota, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release; and Paul Moore, age 38, Kyle, South Dakota, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Brett Schrum and Richard Bettelyoun have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Co-defendant Tracy Jones has pleaded not guilty and will stand trial in May 2022. She is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The seven co-defendants were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury on November 10, 2020.
During the course of the conspiracy, pounds of methamphetamine were trafficked into South Dakota, primarily from Colorado. Schrum, of Ft. Morgan, Colorado, brought the methamphetamine to various locations in South Dakota, primarily on the Pine Ridge reservation. The other six co-defendants are from South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Martin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Nelson prosecuted the case.
Jensen, Imitates Dog, Milk, and Moore were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.