Pine Ridge Woman Sentenced For Conspiracy To Distribute Cocaine

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on March 24, 2014, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Marlena Jo Pond, a/k/a Mar Pond, age 28, was sentenced to 30 months in custody, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
         
Pond was indicted on two counts of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances by a federal grand jury on September 24, 2013.  She pled guilty to one count on November 20, 2013.

Beginning December 2010 until September 2013, Pond assisted in packaging cocaine, with persons known and unknown, for further distribution in South Dakota.  More than 500 grams of cocaine would have been distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
         
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes the following agencies: Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fall River State’s Attorney’s Office.  The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also assisted with the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted L. McBride prosecuted the case.
         
Pond was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.