Esmelin Belloso-Valle, Methamphetamine Distribution, Indiana 2012

Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced

SPRING CREEK, SOUTH DAKOTA – A man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in distributing methamphetamine on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.

Charles Little Elk III, a/k/a Charlie Little Elk, age 38, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Little Elk was involved in a conspiracy to distribute between 350 and 500 grams of methamphetamine between January 2017 and January 2019. He conspired with several others to distribute the highly addictive substance on the reservation.

Little Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2020, and he pled guilty on April 6, 2021. The case was investigated 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 prosecuted the case, which stems from a lengthy investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine on the reservation.

Little Elk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after his sentencing. His conviction serves as a reminder of the severity of the consequences for those involved in the distribution of illicit substances.

Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange of the U.S. District Court handed down the sentence, which includes a significant term in federal prison and supervised release.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking

Lisa Elizabeth Caudron, Meth Trafficking, Montana 2020

May 18, 2021

Drug Trafficking

Homer Allen Faison, III, Methamphetamine Trafficking, North Carolina 2025

May 12, 2026

Drug Trafficking

Justin Scott Coffey, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Iowa 2015

Mar 12, 2015

Drug Trafficking

Taylor Hernandez, Methamphetamine Possession, New York 2026

Mar 12, 2026