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Mission Residents Indicted on Methamphetamine and Firearm Charges
Two Mission, South Dakota, residents are facing serious charges for their alleged involvement in a methamphetamine distribution ring and firearm trafficking. Walter Willard Wright, 36, and Micole Lynn Menard, 36, were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2018, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
The indictment alleges that Wright and Menard conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in South Dakota between October 1, 2016, and January 31, 2017. The indictment also claims that on January 18, 2017, Wright and Menard, who were both unlawful users of and addicted to a controlled substance, knowingly possessed multiple firearms.
Drug trafficking is a violent activity, and firearms are often used by drug dealers to protect their product and cash, as well as enforce their operations. The charges against Wright and Menard are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together law enforcement and the community to reduce violent crime. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.
The investigation is being conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case. Wright was released on bond, while Menard was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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