United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime was sentenced on Aug. 27, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Arlene Siers, age 30, was sentenced to a total of 240 months in federal prison. She was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for the conspiracy conviction. She was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, on the firearm conviction. The prison terms will be served consecutively and the supervised release terms will be served concurrently. Siers was also ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Siers was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 23, 2019. She pled guilty on May 29, 2019
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy beginning at some point before Jan. 1, 2015, and continuing through Jan. 23, 2019, wherein Siers, knowingly and intentionally, combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Further, on Aug. 31, 2018, Siers possessed a loaded handgun, which she used in furtherance of her efforts to distribute methamphetamine.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers. It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Siers 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
