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Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance has been sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Michael Carey, age 57, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
“This is an appropriate prison sentence for a defendant who has been a major source of meth sold in western South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “The public can be assured that federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies are working together to do everything possible to dismantle the drug trafficking organizations bringing this poison into our communities. And anyone still trafficking illegal drugs in this state should understand that they are next on the list.”
Carey was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 20, 2018, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pled guilty to the conspiracy charge on February 15, 2019.
On multiple occasions, Carey traveled to California to obtain methamphetamine from a California supplier. Upon Carey’s return, Carey would coordinate with others to distribute the methamphetamine in the Black Hills area. After months of investigation, a traffic stop was conducted while Carey was returning to South Dakota, and approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine were found in his possession. Federal drug charges against an additional co-conspirator with Carey are pending.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the local Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Nelson prosecuted the case.
Carey was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.