U.S. Attorney Wrigley Announces a Minneapolis, MN, Man was sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking and Possession of Multiple Firearms by a Prohibited Person

Bismarck – United States Attorney Drew Wrigley announced that Richard Thomas Sims, Age 31 of Minneapolis, MN, has been sentenced to serve 15 years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances and Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person. Sims pled guilty to the offenses on December 3, 2019, and was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Daniel Hovland on July 15, 2020. Judge Hovland further sentenced Sims to 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $200.00 Special Assessment. Sims was ordered to forfeit 13 firearms seized during the investigation.

"This defendant was running a drug dealer’s equivalent of a department store, such was the variety of his product offerings," said US Attorney Drew Wrigley, "combined with his illegal arsenal of firearms, the defendant posed a significant risk to public safety and is headed to a cell he very much earned."

From January 2017 through April of 2019, Sims conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in the Bismarck, ND area. In addition, during the drug conspiracy, Sims was illegally in possession of several firearms, though his prior felony conviction made it unlawful for him to do so. During a search of Sims residence, drugs, drug paraphernalia, and evidence of a drug distribution operation were found in different areas the residence. A total of 375.5 grams of methamphetamine, 36 grams of pink methamphetamine, 120 grams of marijuana, 108 MDMA pills, 20 grams of cocaine, two LSD blotter papers, and 7.5 OxyContin pills with no prescription and two pistols were found during the search. A search of a rented storage unit also revealed 2,275 grams of methamphetamine with packaging, approximately 27 grams of heroin, two AR-15 rifles, one .223 caliber that was reported stolen to the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Department in Montana, and 13 other firearms.

This case was investigated by the Bismarck Police Department, North Dakota Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Gary Delorme.

## ## ##