Mobridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Meth Distribution in Sioux Reservation

PIERRE, SD – The grim reality of America’s meth crisis hit close to home as Eric Traversie, a 28-year-old from Mobridge, South Dakota, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for his role in distributing the drug within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell revealed the news on August 5, 2025.

Traversie’s sentence includes five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, marking a heavy blow to his criminal activities. The sentencing followed his guilty plea in April 2025 after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of the same year.

The defendant was at the center of a drug conspiracy that spanned from April 2024 to February 2025. Traversie and an unspecified number of co-conspirators were accused of distributing between 1.5 and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with Traversie’s involvement in a traffic stop leading to the seizure of 237 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.

Operation Take Back America, a DOJ initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels, and protecting communities from violent crime, played a pivotal role in this case. The initiative leverages resources from OCDETFs and PSN to streamline efforts against organized criminal activities like Traversie’s.

This investigation was a collaborative effort by the FBI, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, BIA, and Dewey County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges handling the prosecution. Traversie has been remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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