Meth Ring Leader Gets Nearly 6 Years

RAPID CITY, SD – Nathan Tobacco-Clifford, 49, of Kyle, South Dakota, is headed to federal prison after receiving a sentence of five years and 10 months for his central role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that plagued the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence on September 19, 2025, following a guilty plea entered on April 23, 2025, after a federal grand jury indictment in March 2024.

The investigation, spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, revealed a calculated operation. Tobacco-Clifford and his cohorts weren’t just users – they were actively sourcing the poison from out of state. The crew regularly made runs to Greeley, Colorado, specifically to connect with codefendant Misty Hornbeck, the source of their supply.

One brazen attempt to transport the drug back to South Dakota ended in failure. Co-conspirators were intercepted in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, their vehicle loaded with methamphetamine destined for the Pine Ridge Reservation. Despite the near miss, the operation continued, driven by the conspirators’ own addiction and a callous disregard for the damage they were inflicting on the community.

Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox, presented evidence showing the group distributed between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. The operation wasn’t about profit, but fueling a destructive habit. Each member of the ring peddled the drug to support their own use, creating a vicious cycle of addiction and crime.

In addition to the prison sentence, Tobacco-Clifford will face five years of supervised release upon his eventual return to society. He’s also been ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund – a paltry sum considering the devastation caused by his actions. He was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, continues to target drug trafficking operations impacting Native American communities. This case serves as a grim reminder of the pervasive grip of methamphetamine and the lengths to which individuals will go to feed their addiction, and the consequences of those choices.

RELATED: Drug Kingpin Gets 19 Years: Mexican Cartel Link Exposed

RELATED: Cartel Kingpin Gets 20 Years