A man from Rapid City, South Dakota, has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine across Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Reservation. The sentencing was handed down by District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler on October 27, 2025.
Demitre Ecoffey, age 31, received a sentence of 24 years and four months in federal prison. He will also serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term and must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Ecoffey was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025 for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025.
According to court records, Ecoffey purchased large quantities of methamphetamine during 2024 and 2025 and sold them throughout Rapid City and the Pine Ridge reservation. Authorities stated that he engaged in dangerous activities while involved in the drug operation, including high-speed chases through both areas, destroying evidence, and possessing several firearms.
“Strong detective work and collaboration by all levels of law enforcement in the state have ensured that our citizens in western South Dakota will be protected from this dangerous individual for the next quarter century or so,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. This initiative brings together resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs – Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA), FBI, Rapid City Police Department, and Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET includes members from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Ecoffey was taken into custody immediately following sentencing by the U.S. Marshals Service.
