United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced the sentencing of a Rapid City man, James Thunder Hawk, for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Thunder Hawk on June 6, 2025.
Thunder Hawk, aged 42, received a sentence of 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The indictment against Thunder Hawk was issued by a federal grand jury in October 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025.
The conspiracy involved distributing at least 500 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota from December 2020 through October 2022. Co-conspirators traveled to the Denver area and other locations to obtain the drug, which Thunder Hawk knew would be further distributed.
The Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) investigated the case. UNET includes law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Thunder Hawk has been remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
