United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced that Jacob Denker, a 41-year-old man from Rapid City, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler delivered the sentence on November 25, 2024.
Denker was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, specifically fentanyl. In addition to his prison term, he will serve five years of supervised release and must pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The indictment against Denker was issued by a federal grand jury in June 2024, and he entered a guilty plea on August 28, 2024. According to court documents, Denker and his girlfriend Jamie Lee began acquiring fentanyl in March 2023 from Colorado and transported it back to South Dakota. They distributed the substance throughout Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Reservation until September 2023. It is estimated that over 400 grams of fentanyl were brought into the area by Denker and his associates.
Co-defendant Eugene Giago is set for trial on January 7, 2025, while Jamie Lee is scheduled for sentencing on January 27, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force with participation from multiple agencies including the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Following his sentencing, Denker was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.