Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Meth Trafficking

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Benjamin Big Eagle, a/k/a Benji Big Eagle, age 33, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $500 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Big Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2018.  He pled guilty on April 24, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that started in 2012 and continued through 2017.  Big Eagle sold small amounts of methamphetamine on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations in South Dakota. 

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.

Big Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.