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Press Release

Poplar woman admits to trafficking meth; customer died after taking the drug

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

GREAT FALLS — A Poplar woman today admitted to a methamphetamine trafficking crime after a customer died shortly after taking the drug, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Danyell Rose Black Dog, 22, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Black Dog faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 18. Black Dog was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 27, 2021, Fort Peck Tribes law enforcement officers responded to a 911 medical call regarding a woman identified as Jane Doe. Doe was unresponsive and officers began CPR. Family members told officers at the scene that Doe had used meth prior to the 911 call. Emergency medical responders arrived and transported Doe to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The government further alleged the investigation determined that Doe would buy $5 or $10 worth of meth from Black Dog on a regular basis, and that Black Dog had sold to Doe two to three times a week. Black Dog sent text information to another individual in which she said she was on her way to sell Doe meth approximately 30 minutes before the incident and how she sold and delivered it to Doe. An autopsy of Doe conducted by the Montana state medical examiner listed the cause of death as methamphetamine toxicity.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice conducted the investigation.

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Contact

Clair Johnson Howard

Public Affairs Officer

406-247-4623

Clair.Howard@usdoj.gov

Updated May 23, 2023

Topics
Indian Country Law and Justice
Drug Trafficking
Press Release Number: 23-167