Three plead guilty to selling meth on Spirit Lake reservation

U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced Wednesday that three people pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance.

Fulton Merrick Jr., Garrick Mini and Rayone Sherman each pleaded

guilty before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson.

Merrick, Jr., 37, Devils Lake, N.D., pleaded guilty to distributing approximately .40 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in August 2011.

Mini, 32, Devils Lake, pleaded guilty to distributing approximately .15 grams of methamphetamine in August 2011.

Sherman, 44, Fort Totten, N.D., pleaded guilty to distributing approximately.72 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in May 2011.

All incidents occurred on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation.

The charge of distribution of a controlled substance carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment.

The cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Devils Lake Police Department.

Sentencing for all defendants has been scheduled for May 9 in U.S. District

Court in Grand Forks.

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