United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mellette County, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on August 4, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Helen Ann Clifford, age 44, was sentenced to 42 months in custody, 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Clifford was also ordered to forfeit U.S. currency and two handguns seized by law enforcement in September 2015.
Clifford was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury on Jan. 21, 2016. She pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on April 19, 2016.
From May 2014 through September 2015, Clifford received and distributed methamphetamine in South Dakota. The individuals who provided Clifford with large amounts of methamphetamine knew she intended to engage in further distribution. It was reasonably foreseeable to Clifford that more than 50 grams of methamphetamine would be distributed during the course of this conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Clifford was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
