Rapid City Woman Pleads Guilty to Controlled Substance Charge
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 21, 2013 |
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Billi American Horse, age 24, of Rapid City, South Dakota, appeared before Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court, on March 11, 2013 and pled guilty to count two of a superseding indictment that charged her with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The penalty upon conviction is a minimum of five years up to 40 years’ imprisonment and/or a $5,000,000 fine.
The charge relates to American Horse conspiring with others to distribute at least 100 kilograms or more of marijuana in South Dakota between October 2008 and May 2012. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted L. McBride.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for July 8, 2013. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.