Mellette County Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

A Mellette County woman was sentenced to 42 months in custody for her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Helen Ann Clifford, age 44, was involved in a methamphetamine distribution ring in South Dakota from May 2014 through September 2015. Clifford received and distributed large quantities of methamphetamine, with more than 50 grams distributed during the course of the conspiracy.

Clifford was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 21, 2016, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. She later pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on April 19, 2016.

As part of her sentence, Clifford was ordered to forfeit U.S. currency and two handguns seized by law enforcement in September 2015. She was also fined $1,000 and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Clifford’s case was investigated 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.

Clifford was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving her sentence.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement and prosecutors to hold individuals accountable for their role in the distribution of illicit substances.

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