Dupree Man Sentenced for Drug Charges

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Dupree, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on May 14, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Waylon Young Bird, age 50, was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, a fine in the amount of $1,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Young Bird was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 15, 2018.  He was found guilty by a Jury on April 4, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from incidents that occurred from January 1, 2016 until May 15, 2018, when Young Bird knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, which is a Schedule II controlled substance, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.  The Jury also convicted Young Bird of knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute a detectable amount of methamphetamine from a March 9, 2018, traffic stop. During this stop, Young Bird was found to have just under 10 grams of methamphetamine hidden in his sock in eight little baggies. 

The investigation was conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

Young Bird was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.