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Press Release

Rapid City Man Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Jonathon Nelson, age 24, was indicted on April 19, 2016.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on April 26, 2016, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is a minimum of 5 years up to 40 years in custody and/or a $5,000,000 fine, 4 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.   

From January 2014 through April 2016, Nelson conspired and agreed with others to possess and distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine within the District of South Dakota.  Additionally, on August 15, 2014, Nelson was in the possession of a firearm after having been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

The charges are merely an accusation and Nelson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Department, and the Rapid City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case.   

Nelson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.  A trial date has been set for July 5, 2016.

Updated May 5, 2016

Topic
Drug Trafficking