A U.S. Circuit Judge has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Benny Benson, age 22, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Benson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023, and pleaded guilty on October 16, 2024. Benson’s conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine distribution operation on the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the conspiracy Benson distributed over 900 grams of fentanyl and approximately 210 grams of cocaine on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He was a supervisor of the conspiracy and possessed a firearm during his involvement. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Benson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.