Piedmont Woman Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Piedmont, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on August 5, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Billi American Horse, age 33, was sentenced to 10 years custody in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

American Horse was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October of 2021.  She pleaded guilty on May 13, 2022.

During her involvement in the conspiracy, American Horse obtained methamphetamine and distributed it primarily in western South Dakota. American Horse was involved in a pursuit with law enforcement in July 2021, in which she was transporting large amounts of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.  During the pursuit, she threw illegal substances out the window in an effort to discard the drugs.  Once officers were able to stop her, they located methamphetamine and other drugs in American Horse’s vehicle, as well as locating a significant amount of methamphetamine that had been thrown from the vehicle.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET).  UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Nelson prosecuted the case.

American Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.