Two Rapid City Men Sentenced For Possession With Intent To Distribute Marijuana

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Cayleb Louis Young, age 23, and Kenneth Morales-Scott, Jr., age 24, both of Rapid City, South Dakota, were sentenced on August 19 and 20, 2013, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.

Morales-Scott was sentenced to 1 month of imprisonment, followed by 5 months of home confinement, and 2 years of supervised release.  He also forfeited a 1997 BMW.

Young was sentenced to 2 years of probation.  Additionally, Morales-Scott and Young were each fined $1,000 and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Morales-Scott and Young were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 13, 2013.  Each pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on June 4, 2013.

On November 17, 2012, Morales-Scott and Young traveled from Rapid City to California.  The purpose of the trip was for Morales-Scott to pick up a large quantity of marijuana, over 10 pounds, to deliver to an individual in Wisconsin.  Before they left California, Morales-Scott informed Young of the nature of the trip.  Young agreed to assist in the transportation and delivery of the marijuana in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.  

On November 20, 2012, the South Dakota Highway Patrol performed a traffic stop on Interstate 90 near Draper that involved a BMW driven by Morales-Scott, with Young as the passenger.  During the course of the traffic stop, the trooper conducted a vehicle search and found a large black bag in the trunk of the vehicle which held several vacuum sealed bags that contained high quality marijuana.

The Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Morales-Scott will report to the U.S. Marshals Service in Rapid City on August 30, 2013, to begin serving his sentence.