A Colorado man has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in central South Dakota.
James Ruttledge, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The convictions stem from a conspiracy that began in March 2020, in which Ruttledge conspired with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute methamphetamine in and around central South Dakota. Ruttledge brought large amounts of methamphetamine from Denver, Colorado, to the Winner, South Dakota, area to be distributed.
As part of the conspiracy, Ruttledge was involved in a traffic stop on August 28, 2020, in Tripp County, South Dakota, wherein 200 grams of pure methamphetamine and a firearm were found in Ruttledge’s possession. Ruttledge is a felon and an unlawful user of a controlled substance, making him a prohibited person.
Ruttledge was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 11, 2020, and pled guilty on December 30, 2021. In addition to his prison sentence, Ruttledge was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
The case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Tripp County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Ruttledge was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Related Federal Cases
- Sarah Jane Johnson, Methamphetamine Distribution, South Dakota 2023 · South Dakota
- Juan Antonio Garcia Jr, Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, South Dakota · South Dakota
- Shelina Martinez, Methamphetamine Trafficking, South Dakota 2025 · South Dakota
- Michael Cole, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking, South Dakota 2023 · South Dakota
- Catherine Hamilton, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, South Dakota 2024 · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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