RAPID CITY, SD – Charles Schrader, 56, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, is headed to federal prison after receiving a five-year sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence on January 25, 2023, bringing an end to a case that exposed a steady flow of methamphetamine onto the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Schrader was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. The investigation, led by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, quickly revealed Schrader’s role as a key link in the local drug pipeline. He pleaded guilty on September 23, 2022, admitting to sourcing distributable quantities of methamphetamine and selling it to others with the knowledge it would be further distributed.
The evidence presented during sentencing painted a grim picture of Schrader’s operation. He wasn’t just moving product; he was actively contributing to the addiction and related crime plaguing the reservation. Disturbingly, investigators also uncovered evidence that Schrader possessed firearms in connection with his drug distribution activities – a dangerous combination that escalated the risk to the community.
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell didn’t mince words when discussing the case. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who profit from poisoning our communities will be held accountable,” she stated. Schrader will serve his five-year sentence in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund – a small restitution for the damage he inflicted.
The Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency coalition comprising the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Rapid City Police Department, deserves credit for dismantling this operation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Nelson successfully prosecuted the case, ensuring Schrader faced justice.
Following the sentencing, Schrader was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. This conviction and sentencing represent a small, but significant, victory in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in South Dakota. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this and other federal cases as they unfold, exposing the underbelly of crime and corruption.
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- Pine Ridge Gun Violence Conference: April 6, 2017 · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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