Rapid City Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 24, 2023.

Brittany Vermeulen, 35, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Vermeulen was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in July of 2022. She pleaded guilty on January 6, 2023.

During her involvement in the conspiracy Vermeulen obtained distributable quantities of fentanyl, at times traveling to the Denver, Colorado, area to pick up fentanyl. Upon her return to South Dakota, she would then distribute the fentanyl, primarily in the Black Hills area.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina S. Nelson prosecuted the case.

Vermeulen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.