Eight Charged In Mille Lacs Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

Eight individuals have been charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Tyrone James Nelson, 38, Robert Dontell Sykes, 48, David Lee Snoddy, 36, Ramon Ford, 58, Devonn Rose Mitchell, 23, Kristin Rae Boyd, 28, Duwayne Ivan Schwensen, 26, and Chad Reed Nickaboine, 20, knowingly conspired with each other to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

“Here in Minnesota, and around the nation, our Native American communities have been disproportionately affected by heroin and opioid abuse. This is unacceptable. My office and our law enforcement partners remain aggressive in our approach to stopping those who infiltrate our communities with this poison,” said U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald.

“The Band is very grateful for the critical assistance provided by Bureau of Indian Affairs and federal law enforcement officers, and the U.S. Attorney,” said Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin. “I would especially like to thank our Mille Lacs Tribal Police force. They have done outstanding work in leading this effort with our federal partners to address the drug epidemic on our Reservation.”

This case is the result of an investigation led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department.