A 39-year-old man from Eagle Butte has been found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute as a result of a three-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota.
Daniel Gray Eagle faces a maximum sentence of at least 10 years up to life in federal prison, and/or a $10,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release and restitution may be ordered.
The jury found that between January 2017 and February 2020, Gray Eagle knowingly conspired with others to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Trial information said Gray Eagle routinely traveled to Rapid City to acquire methamphetamine, which he primarily distributed in Eagle Butte.
The jury also found Gray Eagle guilty of two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. The first count arose from a high-speed car chase with law enforcement in the southwest corner of the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation in January 2018. During the chase, Gray Eagle instructed a passenger to throw a pill bottle containing 22 grams of methamphetamine out of the car. The methamphetamine was recovered and Gray Eagle was taken into custody after crashing the car in a field. The second count arose from a foot pursuit and arrest of Gray Eagle in March 2018, in Eagle Butte. After Gray Eagle was arrested on a tribal warrant, a search revealed three baggies containing a small amount of methamphetamine in his pants pocket as well as a cell phone containing drug-related messages.
A sentencing date was set for December 14, 2020. Gray Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the US Marshals Service.
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