PINE RIDGE, S.D. - A 22-year-old Pine Ridge man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine distribution ring operating on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Benny Benson pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

Investigators say Benson played a supervisory role in the operation, distributing more than 900 grams of fentanyl and approximately 210 grams of cocaine across the reservation. Court records also indicate that Benson possessed a firearm during his involvement in the conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI.