Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime was sentenced on October 4, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Charles Clark, age 42, was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for count one; and five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for count two.  Sentences are to run concurrently.

Clark was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2020.  He pleaded guilty to both counts on June 25, 2021. During his involvement in the conspiracy, multiple pounds of methamphetamine were brought to South Dakota from Mexico through arrangements made by the Defendant.  Upon arrival in South Dakota, it was further dispersed to others for use and distribution.  The Defendant also possessed a firearm while in the presence of others as a display of intimidation, in furtherance of the drug distribution conspiracy.

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. 

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota National Guard, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

Clark was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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