Wicahpe Chops Milk, Meth Trafficking, South Dakota 2021

Grimy Times has learned that Wicahpe Chops Milk, a 37-year-old man from Wanblee, South Dakota, has been found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and Obstruction of Justice.

The verdict was returned on July 2, 2021, following a five-day federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota. According to the indictment, Wicahpe Chops Milk arranged for methamphetamine to be transported to South Dakota from California for further distribution.

Law enforcement stopped Milk’s vehicle on August 17, 2016, and located methamphetamine and a firearm. Due to a prior felony conviction, Milk was prohibited from possessing a firearm. After his arrest, Milk engaged in extensive witness tampering efforts in an attempt to influence the testimony of witnesses.

The case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn N. Rich and Gina Nelson prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for October 1, 2021.

The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. The conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and/or a $10,000,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The other charges each carry a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Wicahpe Chops Milk was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 20, 2016. He was released from federal custody in January 2015 and soon after began obtaining methamphetamine in California.

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