Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine Charges

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, was sentenced on June 27, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Cherae Runs After, age 23, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Runs After was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2016.  She pled guilty on April 19, 2018.

On or about August 1, 2015, and continuing through November 9, 2016, Runs After knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

Runs After met Alfredo Chavez-Mendoza in Utah through her family. Chavez-Mendoza told Runs After that he wanted to come to South Dakota in order to make money selling methamphetamine.  However, he did not know anybody in South Dakota, and more specifically, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation who either used, or distributed, methamphetamine.  He asked Runs After to introduce him to drug dealers in the Eagle Butte area.

Runs After introduced Chavez-Mendoza to Kristina Lofton, Stephanie Lofton, and Robert "Blue" Lofton for the purpose of linking him with locals who could sell methamphetamine supplied by Chavez-Mendoza. Chavez-Mendoza worked together with the Lofton family to distribute methamphetamine on Cheyenne River.

In addition to being the party that introduced Chavez-Mendoza to the Cheyenne River area, Runs After also distributed methamphetamine for him. Runs After owed Chavez-Mendoza several thousand dollars for previous fronts of methamphetamine he made to her.

Alfredo Chavez-Mendoza, Christina Lofton, Stephanie Lofton, Robert Lofton, Tyler and Ashley Peterson, Roy Antrim, Braxtyn Garreau, and Charlie Marshall have all previously been convicted for their involvement in this narcotics trafficking conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Runs After was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.