United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Bakersfield, California, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Lee Molica, age 61, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Molica was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. He pled guilty on March 11, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop on May 20, 2021, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. During the stop, law enforcement located two plastic baggies containing approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine, which Molica intended to distribute on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Molica was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.