Skyla Rae Alyce Dupris, Methamphetamine Trafficking, SD 2017

EAGLE BUTTE, SD – Skyla Rae Alyce Dupris, 25, of Dupree, South Dakota, is headed to federal prison after admitting to peddling methamphetamine on the Cheyenne River Reservation. U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the sentence on April 24, 2017, following a guilty plea entered earlier this year.

Dupris was convicted on two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance, stemming from incidents on June 23, 2016, and July 21, 2016, in Eagle Butte. According to court documents, Dupris knowingly and intentionally distributed methamphetamine – a Schedule II controlled substance – to individuals in the area. The investigation exposed a small-scale operation fueling addiction in an already vulnerable community.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced the sentencing, detailing the penalties: six months of custody and three years of supervised release on each count, to run concurrently. That’s not all. Dupris was also slapped with a $1,000 fine and a mandatory $200 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. A pittance, some might argue, for poisoning a community.

The case began with an indictment by a federal grand jury on December 14, 2016. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Narcotics Division and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force worked tirelessly to build the case, gathering evidence and securing Dupris’s eventual conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan led the prosecution.

Following the sentencing, Dupris was immediately taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, trading the relative freedom of Dupree for a federal lockup. The six-month sentence, while seemingly short, sends a message – however weak – that drug dealing on tribal lands will face federal prosecution.

Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on other instances of drug trafficking impacting South Dakota communities. The cycle of addiction and the individuals who profit from it remain a persistent threat, demanding constant vigilance from law enforcement and a commitment to long-term solutions.