PINE RIDGE, S.D. - A Michigan woman has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for her role in a fentanyl trafficking operation that brought hundreds of grams of the drug into South Dakota, including to the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Jamie Lee, 40, of Clear Lake, Michigan, conspired with her boyfriend, Jacob Denker, to obtain fentanyl starting in March 2023. The pair traveled to Colorado to pick up the drug before transporting it to South Dakota. Once in Rapid City, they worked with sub-distributors to spread fentanyl throughout the city and the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Federal prosecutors say the operation continued through September 2023, ultimately trafficking more than 400 grams of fentanyl into the region. Denker was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, while a third co-defendant, Eugene Giago, is set to stand trial on March 11, 2025.

Along with her 57-month prison sentence, Lee was ordered to serve five years of supervised release, pay a $1,000 fine, and contribute $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.