Melissa Rose Decoteau, Meth Trafficking, South Dakota 2020

A McLaughlin woman was sentenced for her role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Melissa Rose Decoteau, 35, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

According to court documents, Decoteau conspired with others to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in 2018.

The case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Mobridge Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Corson County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.

Decoteau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after her sentencing.

Decoteau, whose alias is Melissa Rose Bobtail Bear, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2019. She pled guilty on August 24, 2020.

This case highlights the ongoing struggle against methamphetamine trafficking in South Dakota.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/mclaughlin-woman-sentenced-meth-trafficking