FEBRUARY 2024:
U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has determined what the punishment will be for a Rapid City man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
Sam Boyd, 35, was sentenced to 23 1/3 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Boyd was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. He was convicted at a federal jury trial in November of 2023.
In the fall of 2020, Boyd began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The methamphetamine was both mailed or transported to western South Dakota on multiple occasions by Boyd and his co-conspirators. Boyd then distributed the methamphetamine to others for use and to further distribute. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
NOVEMBER 2023:
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Sam Boyd, age 35, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of Ammunition following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in custody and a maximum penalty of life in custody and a $10,000,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
In the fall of 2020, Boyd began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The methamphetamine was either mailed or transported to western South Dakota on multiple occasions. Boyd then distributed the methamphetamine to others for use and to further sell. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being legally prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is local drug task force comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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