Carlene Cloke, Hydrocodone and Oxycodone Trafficking, SD 2016-2017

A 65-year-old McLaughlin woman, Carlene Cloke, has been indicted on federal charges for distributing Hydrocodone and Oxycodone over a three-month stretch in 2016 and 2017. The indictment, handed down March 12, 2019, marks the latest fallout from an ongoing federal crackdown on prescription drug trafficking in rural South Dakota.

Cloke appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 23, 2019, where she formally entered a plea of not guilty. The charge stems from allegations that between December 21, 2016, and March 27, 2017, Cloke knowingly and intentionally distributed a substance containing detectable amounts of the powerful opioids—drugs frequently linked to addiction and overdose deaths across the region.

If convicted, Cloke faces up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $1,000,000 fine. Additional penalties include 3 years to life on supervised release, a mandatory $100 payment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and possible court-ordered restitution. Prosecutors are seeking maximum accountability under federal sentencing guidelines.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, signaling federal authorities’ continued focus on mid-level drug distribution networks. Though Cloke is not accused of running a large-scale operation, the presence of controlled substances in a tight-knit community has raised alarm among local law enforcement officials.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is leading the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons confirmed the indictment, emphasizing that even isolated acts of drug distribution carry severe federal consequences. “These aren’t victimless crimes,” Parsons stated in a previous briefing. “Every pill pushed fuels the cycle of addiction and violence.”

Carlene Cloke was released on bond pending trial. No trial date has been scheduled. The indictment remains an accusation; Cloke is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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