Robert Hill Pleads Guilty in North Idaho Drug Ring

Robert Hill, 48, of Williston, North Dakota, copped to his role in a sprawling drug trafficking network that flooded North Idaho, Montana, and Eastern Washington with heroin and oxycodone. Hill pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Coeur d’Alene to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, becoming the eighth defendant to do so in the case.

The superseding indictment, handed down by a federal grand jury on April 19, 2016, charged eleven individuals in total. Hill admitted during his court appearance that he’d been a key player in the organization since 2009—selling pills and heroin across state lines, moving product, and ensuring illicit profits made their way to top-level co-conspirators.

Hill’s operation wasn’t small-time. He transported and distributed large quantities of oxycodone and heroin across a four-state corridor, feeding addiction and fueling violence in communities already strained by the opioid crisis. His guilty plea confirms the reach and resilience of the network, which operated under the radar for years.

As part of his plea agreement, Hill has agreed to forfeit any interest he holds in real property, jewelry, or cash—whether held by him or on his behalf by others named in the indictment. Federal prosecutors are moving to seize assets tied to the drug ring’s operations, aiming to dismantle its financial backbone.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances carries a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and no less than four years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for May 2, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the Coeur d’Alene federal courthouse.

The case was built through a massive joint effort involving Coeur d’Alene Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force (NIVCTF), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The probe was conducted under the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a federal initiative funding multi-agency crackdowns on major trafficking rings.

RELATED: Kanawha Co. Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges: .40-Caliber Pistol Seized, Faces Decade in the Clink

RELATED: Kanawha Co. Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession