NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced on Friday that United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced 34-year-old Baquan Sledge to serve 30 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

According to a news release, the jury returned guilty verdicts on multiple counts against Sledge and another man from Detroit, MI in June 2022 after a 12-day trial, for their leadership in a drug trafficking organization that targeted three Native American Reservations in North Dakota.

Sledge was convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved premise.

Sledge forfeited his right to more than $20,000 in seized U.S. currency.

Baquan Sledge and his trial co-defendant, Darius Sledge, were the leaders of a criminal enterprise. It involved obtaining and transporting oxycodone from MI to sell in North Dakota tribal communities.

This case was part of “Operation Blue Prairie,” which is an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the multi-state trafficking of oxycodone.

The investigation revealed that from 2015 to 2019, the Sledge defendants and their co-conspirators targeted areas with few law enforcement resources where they could distribute drugs at a premium price.

They used local residences and local people for distribution and stash houses to further their criminal activities. There were 26 defendants in total charged in the case.

The enterprise came to light in 2015, but it was difficult to track because of relocating their efforts and the use of different aliases in different locations. Another struggle was the myriad of jurisdictions involved, including state, tribal, and federal agencies.

Darius Sledge was also convicted of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Money Laundering Conspiracy, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise. He was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison with three years of supervised release.

“This sentence is a final step in an extensive, successful effort to dismantle a drug trafficking ring that deliberately targeted North Dakota’s tribal communities,” said U.S Attorney Mac Schneider. “It is also a warning: Those who distribute dangerous drugs on reservations will be caught, prosecuted, and sentenced to federal prison.”

These are the other 24 defendants that were convicted and sentenced:

  • Dondiago Jones, 34, Detroit, MI (deceased)
    • 129 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and Money Laundering Conspiracy
  • Derrick Walker II, 29, Louisville, KY
    • 94 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy, Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon, Distribution of Oxycodone, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise, and Possession with Intent to distribute Oxycodone
  • Terrence Press Johnson Jr, 30, Detroit, MI
    • 96 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise, Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone, Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon
  • Deante Edwards, 31, Detroit, MI
    • 29 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone
  • Anthony Wade, 33, Detroit, MI
    • 30 months Custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Lillian Lee, 28, Detroit, MI
    • 43 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy
  • Twon Stepfone Boyd, 29, Detroit, MI
    • 37 months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Ira Mae Snell, 33, Fort Totten, ND
    • 25 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone
  • Grayson Dye, 38, Fort Totten and New Town, ND
    • 121 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Martina Whitetail, 29, Fort Totten and New Town, ND
    • 93 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Robert Touche, 45, Sheyenne, ND
    • Time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Calvin Dubois, 39, Belcourt, ND
    • 100 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Maintaining a Drug Premise
  • Edward Dubois, 28, Dunseith, ND
    • Time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone
  • Chantel Longie, 25, Belcourt, ND
    • 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Kerry Morin, 29, Belcourt, ND
    • 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Kasondra Kaye Grant, 28, Rolla, ND
    • 28 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Constance Aiken, 39, Dunseith, ND
    • 28 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Shanae Dubois, 25, Fargo, ND
    • Time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Money Laundering Conspiracy
  • Faith Liddell, 27, Bottineau, ND
    • Time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Cheryl Lilley, 24, Belcourt, ND
    • Time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Farron Michelle Delong, 25, Belcourt, ND
    • 15 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Johnna Goodiron, 36, St. Michael, ND
    • Time served sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Shanel Mudgett, 26, Belcourt, ND
    • 24 months custody for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance
  • Carleen Counts, 41, Mandan, ND
    • Time served sentence (in a related case) for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance; Maintaining a Drug Premise; and three counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance – Oxycodone