Rapid City Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that United States District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, SD, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 11, 2023.

Brook Staeffler, 38, was sentenced to 20 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.

Staeffler was indicted for three counts of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl) and Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in December 2021. She pleaded guilty on May 24, 2023.

Starting around February 2020, Staeffler began getting controlled substances from Colorado, along with her husband.  They brought methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl pills to South Dakota personally or by others through arrangements with Staeffler. Once the methamphetamine and other substances arrived in the Rapid City area, the Staeffler dispersed them to others for use and distribution. Overall, Staeffler was responsible for at least 1.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, 857.5 grams of fentanyl, and 860.5 grams of heroin. As part of the conspiracy, Staeffler established a false business, “Bscene,” with her husband to launder the proceeds of their sales of the controlled substances. Between July 2020 and October 2021, Staeffler and her husband moved over $94,000 in cash related to their drug distribution efforts through their bank accounts.

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is local drug task force 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 Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

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