Detroit drug ring leaders found guilty of bringing fentanyl pills to North Dakota reservations

defendants in Operation Blue Prairie — Defendants in Operation Blue Prairie. Courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office for North Dakota.

By April Baumgarten

June 17, 2022 at 4:38 PM

FARGO 鈥� led a drug trafficking ring that targeted Native American reservations in North Dakota, a jury found Friday, June 17.

Darius Ramon Sledge Jr. and Baquan Martese Sledge were found guilty in North Dakota鈥檚 federal court on several drug-related charges, including continuing criminal enterprise and maintaining a drug-involved premise. It was unclear when the men will be sentenced.

Prosecutors said the two men led a drug operation starting in 2015 that brought fentanyl pills to the Fort Berthold, Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake reservations in North Dakota. The Sledges ran the operation that recruited North Dakotans, some who were addicted to drugs, to become low-level dealers, according to the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office in Fargo.

The dealers would market the fentanyl pills as oxycodone, a typical practice in peddling the pills, prosecutors said. The thousands of pills that came into the state were worth roughly $2.5 million, prosecutors said.

Multiple agencies worked on the case called 鈥淥peration Blue Prairie.鈥�

Along with the Sledges, prosecutors charged 24 other defendants in connection to the drug ring, including 17 North Dakotans. At least six defendants have been sentenced.

The verdict came after a 12-day trial, according to a news release.

By April Baumgarten

April Baumgarten has been a journalist in North Dakota since 2011. She joined The Forum in February 2019 as an investigative reporter. Readers can reach her at 701-241-5417 or abaumgarten@forumcomm.com.