FARGO, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – A federal appeals court has determined that Darius Sledge, one of the men sentenced to 30 years for operating a drug ring across three Native American reservations in North Dakota, was wrongfully convicted on the most serious charge against him.
Last summer, a jury found Darius Sledge, 32, guilty of four out of five counts in a wide-ranging drug conspiracy case. His brother, Baquan Sledge, was found guilty on all five counts.
The Sledge brothers allegedly ran a drug distribution ring targeting the Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain, and Fort Berthold reservations. They made 15 to 20 trips annually between Michigan and North Dakota, using residents and homes to distribute and stash drugs, according to prosecutors.
Both brothers were charged under the “kingpin statute,” known as continuing criminal enterprise (CCE), which requires proof of three or more felony federal drug violations. Darius Sledge appealed, arguing that the jury was not instructed to agree on which felonies he violated unanimously.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, noting that the jury found Darius guilty of only two felonies, not the three required for a CCE conviction. As a result, the court overturned his CCE conviction and remanded him for a new trial.
Darius Sledge’s sentence of 30 years included an additional 10 years for the CCE count. If prosecutors dismiss this charge, his sentence will be reduced to 20 years. The court upheld all other convictions against the Sledge brothers.