Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Denver woman has been sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison for her role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy across South Dakota. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down the sentence on March 5, 2025.
Rikki Renee Barrowman, also known as Juree T Rials, aged 34, received a sentence of 22 years and 11 months in prison. Following her release, she will be under supervised release for five years. Additionally, she was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Barrowman was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.
The case involved a drug conspiracy that began in January 2021 and continued until July 2022. Barrowman was part of an extensive network distributing methamphetamine throughout western and central South Dakota, including the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, and the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. The operation distributed approximately 65 kilograms of methamphetamine. Barrowman supplied methamphetamine from Denver to various individuals who transported it to South Dakota for further distribution. Firearms were exchanged for narcotics as part of this conspiracy.
The case is associated with Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched a strategy on May 26, 2021, focusing on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
The investigation was conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Following her sentencing, Barrowman was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
