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 Mobridge man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated in central South Dakota, including the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and handed down by U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte on August 5, 2025.
Eric Traversie, 28, will serve ten years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Traversie was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 and pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025.
According to court documents, the drug conspiracy took place from April 2024 through February 2025. During this period, Traversie and others distributed methamphetamine throughout central South Dakota and within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. Authorities reported that Traversie helped distribute between 1.5 and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and was involved in an incident where law enforcement seized 237 grams of nearly pure methamphetamine during a traffic stop.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which brings together resources from the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and address violent crime through coordinated efforts such as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation involved multiple agencies: the FBI, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Dewey County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Traversie was immediately taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.
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