Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the sentencing of two individuals from South Dakota for drug trafficking. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentences to Tyler Eagle Elk and Larissa Ross, who were convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Tyler Eagle Elk, 38, from Pine Ridge, received a sentence of two years and nine months in federal prison. Following his incarceration, he will be under supervised release for five years. Additionally, he must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Larissa Ross, 39, from Rapid City, was sentenced to one year and eight months in federal prison. Her sentence also includes four years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Both Eagle Elk and Ross were indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. They were involved in distributing cocaine around the Rapid City area. Investigations began when authorities intercepted a package containing approximately half a pound of cocaine addressed to their residence. The pair was responsible for distributing more than a kilogram of cocaine during their conspiracy.
The case was investigated by several agencies including the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). UNET is composed of personnel from multiple law enforcement bodies such as the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges led the prosecution.
Eagle Elk and Ross have been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
