Department of Justice

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on December 21, 2020, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Kevin Bordeaux, age 22, was sentenced to time served through September 3, 2021, in federal prison, three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Bordeaux was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 3, 2020.  He pled guilty on December 21, 2020.

The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 3, 2020, wherein Bordeaux was involved in a traffic stop in Todd County. A K9 was deployed and alerted to the vehicle and officers searched it. The officers located 6.54 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle. On March 4, 2020, a search warrant was executed on Bordeaux’s residence wherein several rounds of ammunition were seized.

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity.  Firearms are tools of the trade for drug dealers.  It is common to find drug traffickers armed with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and local communities to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.

Bordeaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.