Taryn Krista Elizabeth Toineeta Rattler, Oxycodone Distribution, North Carolina 2013

A 26-year-old Cherokee, North Carolina woman has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for her involvement in a large-scale oxycodone distribution ring.

Taryn Krista Elizabeth Toineeta Rattler was sentenced to 70 months in prison on drug trafficking conspiracy charges by U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger. She will also serve three years under court supervision upon completion of her prison term.

Rattler and her conspirators were involved in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, cocaine, marijuana, and alprazolam in Swain and Jackson counties from January 2007 to December 2012. During that time, Rattler was responsible for trafficking 404,400 milligrams of oxycodone, which had a street value of $404,400.

Rattler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance in September 2013. Three of her co-conspirators have already received prison sentences: Mark Allen Winstead was sentenced to 38 months, Timothy Leroy Rattler was sentenced to 18 months, and Jacob Hunter Rattler was sentenced to 15 months. Jackie Lee Rattler and Evan Thomas Norris, Jr. have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The investigation into Rattler's oxycodone distribution ring was a joint effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Swain County Sheriff's Office, the Graham County Sheriff's Office, and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins praised the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation for their hard work and dedication. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Asheville.

Rattler's sentence is a significant blow to the oxycodone distribution ring and a testament to the tireless efforts of law enforcement to combat the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/cherokee-nc-woman-sentenced-more-five-years-prison-connection-oxycodone-distribution