Barrett Clair Prody from Fort Lauderdale, FL, was sentenced to 190 months in federal prison for offenses related to a cocaine distribution operation. Chief Judge Peter Welte handed down the sentence, which includes a subsequent five years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, Prody led an enterprise for nearly four years, distributing up to 25 kilograms of cocaine in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Investigations revealed that Prody laundered drug proceeds through business accounts, acquiring property in Florida and Colombia, and maintaining a substantial investment account. After his arrest in April 2024, he tried to obstruct justice by attempting to transfer ownership of his assets to avoid forfeiture.
"Barrett Prody pushed a substantial amount of cocaine into Fargo and Moorhead, with little concern for the lives impacted and families destroyed by this poisonous product," said DEA Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Kopp remarked, "Barrett Prody's greed fueled a yearslong cocaine enterprise that profited off addiction and human suffering. Today’s sentence ensures accountability for his crimes."
The sentencing was part of Operation Winter Weather, an OCDETF initiative aimed at dismantling high-level drug trafficking organizations in North Dakota. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the DEA, IRS, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cass County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Kopp and Christopher C. Myers leading the team.
