Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Fort Thompson man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. The U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte delivered the sentence on June 23, 2025.
Weston Big Eagle, aged 47, received a ten-year prison term followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Big Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024 and entered a guilty plea on March 19, 2025.
The charges against Big Eagle arose from his involvement in a drug conspiracy that spanned from January 2023 to December 2023. He conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine across central South Dakota, including areas within the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations. The conspiracy involved distributing over 500 grams of methamphetamine.
The investigation into this case was conducted by several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges led the prosecution.
Following his sentencing, Big Eagle was placed under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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