United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced on Mar. 24 that Bessie Rose Brewer, a resident of Pine Ridge, was sentenced by District Judge Camela C. Theeler for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The sentencing took place on March 9 in Rapid City.
Brewer, age 33, received a sentence of four years and three months in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, along with three years of supervised release. This sentence will run concurrently with her three-year federal prison term for the firearms possession charge.
Court records show that Brewer was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025 for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. In November 2025, she was charged through superseding information with both conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. She pleaded guilty to both charges on November 17, 2025.
The investigation began after law enforcement conducted a traffic stop involving Brewer in January 2025. Officers found and seized a pistol from her jacket pocket during the stop and discovered cocaine inside the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Brewer had been receiving cocaine from others and selling it within the Pine Ridge Reservation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Badlands Safe Trails Task Force investigated this case with members from several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Brewer was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
