PINE RIDGE, S.D. – A 31-year-old Pine Ridge man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy in the Rapid City area and on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Harrison Caldwell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Investigators said Caldwell and others distributed nearly 100% pure methamphetamine supplied by Mexican cartels beginning around November 2023.

In sentencing Caldwell, U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier noted that his role was less significant than other higher-ranking members of the conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.