Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on August 26, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Michael Heideman, age 44, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Heideman was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2017.  He pled guilty on May 29, 2019.

The conviction stems from a conspiracy that started immediately following Heideman’s release from state prison, following a drug conviction in March of 2017. It was discovered that Heideman and his co-defendant, Sierra Bridwell, were receiving distributable quantities of methamphetamine from Colorado and distributing that methamphetamine in South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

As part of the investigation a search warrant was conducted at the defendant’s home, in which 384 grams of methamphetamine was recovered.

This case was investigated 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.

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