Aurora, Colorado, man Anthony Ward has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for distributing a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
The sentencing occurred on May 17, 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Ward, 39, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a special assessment of $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
This is not the first time Ward has been involved in a federal case. A co-conspirator, Darnell Young, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison on October 24, 2023, for the same crimes.
The convictions stem from an investigation into Ward that started in the spring of 2022. Investigators eventually stopped a vehicle that Ward was traveling in and found approximately 150 fentanyl pills, $2,859.00 in cash, and a handgun in a bag in the trunk of the vehicle.
Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that Ward was responsible for sourcing thousands of fentanyl pills from Denver to Rapid City. They also learned that he sourced a fentanyl pill that was eventually distributed to someone in Rapid City who smoked the pill and overdosed. Another person present at the scene was able to revive the victim with Narcan.
In addition to the prison sentence, Ward was also assessed a sentencing enhancement for lying under oath during his trial.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Ward was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Related Federal Cases
- Halie Sletten, Fentanyl Distribution Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, South Dakota 2020 · South Dakota
- Arrow Lynn Curry, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2017 · South Dakota
- Jose Arguello, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2023 · South Dakota
- Jeremiah Little, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2023 · South Dakota
- Shadow Jensen, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2022 · Wyoming
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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