Pierre Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on January 27, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Nicole Marie Hopkins, age 35, was sentenced to 120 months 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.

Hopkins was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2019.  She pled guilty on November 4, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy beginning in the fall of 2018 and continuing through May 2019, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, in which Hopkins, her boyfriend Nathan Thoe, and others, intentionally distributed and possessed with intent to distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

During the course of the conspiracy, Hopkins and Thoe made numerous trips to Colorado to obtain methamphetamine.  Thoe routinely carried a firearm on these trips. On the last trip in January 2019, Thoe and Hopkins were pulled over at a rest stop on I-90 near White Lake, South Dakota. Thoe disregarded commands to comply and reached for a handgun on the back of his hip and was shot and killed by law enforcement officers. At her feet, Hopkins had two BB guns that resembled handguns, which she stated, were for going out “Bonnie and Clyde style.”  As a result of the stop, officers recovered 18 grams of methamphetamine. 

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity.  Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers.  It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pierre Police Department, the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

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