Pine Ridge Woman Sentenced to Over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on March 9, 2026.

Bessie Rose Brewer, 33, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for the Conspiracy charge, to run concurrent to three years in federal prison for the Firearms Possession charge.

Brewer was indicted for Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in May 2025. Brewer was subsequently charged by Superseding Information for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine & Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in November 2025. She pleaded guilty to both charges on November 17, 2025.

In January 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop finding Brewer in the vehicle. During the stop, law enforcement located and seized a pistol from Brewer's jacket pocket and located a small amount of cocaine in the vehicle. Through further investigation, law enforcement learned Brewer had been receiving cocaine from others and selling that cocaine in the Pine Ridge Reservation.

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 Badlands Safe Trails Task Force, which is comprised of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.

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