White Earth Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Possession and Intent to Distribute 900 Grams of Methamphetamine

ST. PAUL - United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Dominic Ray LaFriniere, 51, of White Earth, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. He was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan on October 22, 2026.

According to court documents, White Earth Tribal Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating LaFriniere's controlled substance distribution activities in 2022. The investigation included a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from LaFriniere and a search of his home. The investigation became dormant due to the defendant's incarceration with the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

The investigation resumed in January 2024 when law enforcement arrested LaFriniere for possessing 13 grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement tracked the defendant and observed him traveling to Minneapolis in April 2024. White Earth Tribal Police Department officers stopped LaFriniere as he returned to the White Earth Indian Reservation from Minneapolis and seized his truck.

Investigators searched the truck and found 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside a hollowed-out log and 60 grams of cocaine hidden inside of a rolled-up carpet.

"The defendant chose to traffic methamphetamine and profit off addiction. My office is committed to stopping the flow of drugs into our communities," said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

This case was the result of an investigation by the White Earth Tribal Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted the case.