Rapid City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in Rapid City

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 30, 2026.

Ezra Bald Eagle, 27, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Bald Eagle was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on December 22, 2025.

Between December 2024 and May 2025, Bald Eagle cultivated a network in the Rapid City area to facilitate the sale of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Bald Eagle routinely traveled to Colorado to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and then transported the narcotics into Rapid City. Once back in South Dakota, Bald Eagle and his network of sub-distributors sold large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl within the Rapid City area. Bald Eagle's operation ended on May 20, 2025, when law enforcement conducted a targeted traffic stop as Bald Eagle returned to South Dakota from purchasing narcotics in Colorado. During the stop, officers seized over 3,300 counterfeit M/30 fentanyl pills, 96 grams of fentanyl powder, and three quarters of a pound of methamphetamine.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, the Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

Bald Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.