Source: Office of United States Attorneys
RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Charles Merrival, age 32, was sentenced on November 22, 2024, to eight 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. Forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition was also ordered. Merrival was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2022 and pleaded guilty on July 8, 2024.
From approximately July 2021 through January 2022, Merrival was involved in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Rapid City. Law enforcement stopped Merrival in a truck in July 2021. A search of the vehicle recovered 10 grams of methamphetamine and other drug related items. On January 12, 2022, law enforcement witnessed Merrival hand a backpack to a co-conspirator in a store parking lot. When that backpack was subsequently searched, law enforcement located 40 grams of methamphetamine, a pink semi-automatic pistol, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Merrival was found to be in possession of additional rounds ammunition. During the investigation, multiple sources confirmed Merrival’s history of violence and firearm possession. Merrival is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. Merrival is a former member and Sergeant-at-Arms of the Ghost Dance Motorcycle Club, a support group for the Bandidos.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy Morley, Brian Murphy, and Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Merrival was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing. Merrival faces additional, unrelated charges in Pennington County.