The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on June 1, 2011, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, TONI LYNN ARCOREN, a 30-year-old resident of South Dakota, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing has been set for September 7, 2011. She is currently detained.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On three separate occasions, once in June 2010, and twice in August 2010, all on the Crow Indian Reservation, a confidential source for the Bureau of Indian Affairs purchased meth from ARCOREN. The three sales were for .15 grams of methamphetamine, .095 grams of methamphetamine, and .53 grams of methamphetamine.

When ARCOREN was interviewed, she admitted that she had been distributing methamphetamine for an extended period of time. She identified suppliers and customers. ARCOREN had a number of suppliers and has dealt substantial quantities of methamphetamine on the Crow Indian Reservation. Specifically, she admitted that from one supplier she purchased 1/2 gram quantities of methamphetamine three to four days a week. From another supplier, she purchased $30 and $60 bindles of methamphetamine on at least fifty occasions.

ARCOREN faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could be sentenced to life, a $4,000,000 fine and at least 5 years supervised release. .

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.

 

 

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