Source: United States Department of Justice News
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on January 13, 2023, United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced 34-year-old Baquan Sledge, a/k/a Rell, a/k/a TJ, a/k/a Matthew Pierce, to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
In June of 2022, following a 12-day trial, a jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple counts against Sledge and another man from Detroit, Michigan, for their leadership in a drug trafficking organization targeting three of North Dakota’s Native American Reservations.
Baquan Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Sledge also forfeited his rights to more than $20,000 in seized United States currency.
Baquan Sledge and his trial co-defendant, Darius Sledge, a/k/a Ace, a/k/a Man Man, a/k/a Frank Love, a/k/a Gary, a/k/a Bill, were the leaders of a criminal enterprise
involving obtaining and transporting oxycodone from Detroit, Michigan to sell in the District of North Dakota in tribal communities.
This case is part of “Operation Blue Prairie,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the multi-state trafficking of oxycodone. The multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement revealed that from 2015 to 2019 the Sledge defendants and their co-conspirators targeted areas with fewer law enforcement resources where they could distribute controlled substances at a premium price. The Sledge defendants and others used local residences and people for distribution and stash houses to further their criminal activities for monetary gain. In total, twenty-six defendants were charged in the case.
Baquan Sledge and others involved in the enterprise came to the attention of law enforcement in 2015. While there were points of contact between the primary defendants and law enforcement throughout the intervening years, it was difficult to track their activities because of their intentional relocation of their distribution efforts and their use of different aliases in different locations. An additional challenge was the complicated myriad of jurisdictions involved, including state, tribal and federal agencies.
Following trial, Darius Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. Darius Sledge was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years supervised release.
“This sentence is a final step in an extensive, successful effort to dismantle a drug trafficking ring that deliberately targeted North Dakota’s tribal communities,” said US Attorney Mac Schneider. “It is also a warning: Those who distribute dangerous drugs on reservations will be caught, prosecuted, and sentenced to federal prison.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rolette County Sheriff’s Department, Bottineau County Sheriff’s Department, Ward County Narcotics Task Force, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force, Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Division of Drug Enforcement, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, North Dakota Crime Laboratory, Michigan State Police, Minot Police Department, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Dawn Deitz and Lori Conroy assigned with the assistance of lead investigator Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement Special Agent Isaiah Soldier.
In total, 26 defendants were charged and convicted in the case. The additional 24 defendants were convicted and sentenced as follows:
Dondiago Jones, a/k/a “Ago”, “Dondi”, “Frank”, 34, Detroit Michigan (deceased) 129 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Derrick Walker II, a/k/a Country, a/k/a Kunt, 29, Louisville, Kentucky 94 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon; Distribution of Oxycodone; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Terrence Press Johnson Jr, a/k/a “T”, a/k/a Terrance Press Johnson Jr. 30, Detroit Michigan – 96 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
Deante Edwards, a/k/a “Tay”, 31, Detroit Michigan – 29 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Anthony Wade, a/k/a “Blue”, 33, Detroit Michigan – 30 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Lillian Lee a/k/a “Chasitiy Smith”, a/k/a “Let Let”, a/k/a “Lele”, 28, Detroit Michigan – 43 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Twon Stepfone Boyd, a/k/a Yo Boy, a/k/a D, 29, Detroit Michigan – 37 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Ira Mae Snell, 33, Fort Totten, North Dakota – 25 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Grayson Dye, 38, Fort Totten and New Town, North Dakota – 121 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Martina Whitetail a/k/a Tina Whitetail, 39, Fort Totten and New Town, North Dakota – 93 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Robert Touche, 45, Sheyenne, North Dakota – time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Calvin Dubois, 39, Belcourt, North Dakota – 100 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Maintaining a Drug Premise;
Edward Dubois, a/k/a Baby D, 28, Dunseith, North Dakota – time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy; Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone;
Chantel Longie, 25, Belcourt, North Dakota – 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Kerry Morin, 29, Belcourt, North Dakota – 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Kasondra Kaye Grant, a/k/a Kassie, 28, Rolla, North Dakota – 28 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Constance Aiken, 39, Dunseith, North Dakota – 22 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Shanae Dubois, 25, Fargo, North Dakota – time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy;
Faith Liddell, 27, Bottineau, North Dakota – time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Cheryl Lilley, 24, Belcourt, North Dakota – time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Farron Michelle Delong, 25, Belcourt, North Dakota – 15 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Johnna Goodiron, 36, St. Michael, North Dakota – time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance;
Shanel Mudgett, 26, Belcourt, North Dakota – 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; and,
Carleen Counts, a/k/a Big Car, 41, Mandan, North Dakota – time served sentence (in a related case) for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Maintaining a Drug Premise; and three counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance – Oxycodone.
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