Rapid City Man Charged with Drug and Firearm Crimes

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Dustin Eck, age 34, was charged on May 22, 2018.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 25, 2018, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.  The penalty upon conviction is 5-40 years in federal prison and/or a $5,000,000 fine, up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.  Restitution may also be ordered.

The charge relates to Eck possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and also knowingly being in possession of two rifles.  The charges are merely an accusation and Eck is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.

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.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s 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 the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Eck was detained pending trial.  A trial date has not been set.