Helen Ann Clifford, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, South Dakota 2016

State: South Dakota
Category: Drug Trafficking
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/mellette-county-woman-sentenced-conspiracy-distribute-methamphetamine" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A Mellette County woman has been sentenced to prison for her role in a methamphetamine distribution ring in South Dakota.

Helen Ann Clifford, 44, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and sentenced to 42 months in custody by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on August 4, 2016.

Clifford was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. In addition, she was required to forfeit U.S. currency and two handguns seized by law enforcement in September 2015.

The charges against Clifford were brought after an investigation by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.

According to the indictment, Clifford received and distributed methamphetamine in South Dakota from May 2014 through September 2015. The individuals who provided Clifford with large amounts of methamphetamine knew she intended to engage in further distribution, making it reasonably foreseeable that more than 50 grams of methamphetamine would be distributed during the course of this conspiracy.

Clifford was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after being sentenced. Her conviction serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle against methamphetamine trafficking in South Dakota and the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

The case highlights the efforts of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force in combating methamphetamine distribution in the region.

Related Federal Cases