Sioux Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Which Resulted in Pipestone Death

MINNEAPOLIS - A North Dakota man has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 240 months' imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in the accidental fatal fentanyl poisoning of a young man in the Pipestone, Minnesota, area, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

According to court documents, Jake Noland Northern, aka "Jake Noal Northern," admitted that from at least February 2023 through April 21, 2023, he knowingly and intentionally distributed pressed fentanyl pills to users and distributors across southwestern Minnesota. Northern operated his distribution network from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he sold both personal-use and bulk quantities of fentanyl pills, including to individuals who further distributed the drugs in the Pipestone community.

On April 21, 2023, Northern sold pressed fentanyl pills to an individual for roughly $200. That evening, the victim consumed Northern's fentanyl and subsequently died due to accidental fentanyl poisoning.

Northern admitted during his plea that he knowingly and voluntarily conspired to possess and distribute fentanyl pills and acknowledged that his conduct violated federal law. He also acknowledged a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, for which he received a sentence of 96 months' imprisonment. That conviction increased the penalties in this case.

"[The victim] deserves to be remembered for the beautiful soul he was, not for the way he died. I hope that through this process, his story can bring awareness to the dangers of fentanyl and help save others from this tragedy," said a person close to the victim.

"Fentanyl has stolen lives, fractured families, and destabilized entire communities across Minnesota," said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. "Northern treated addiction as an opportunity and people as profit. This office will continue to pursue federal sentences for traffickers whose actions bring deadly fentanyl into Minnesota communities. We extend our condolences to the victim's family, friends, and community and will continue to work with partners around the state to find, investigate, and prosecute those who bring this lethal drug into our communities."

"This case shows the devastating reality and impact fentanyl has on our community," said Lt. Edison Dengler, of the Pipestone County Sheriff's Office and Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. "A young man lost his life, a family was forever changed, and our community continues to feel the devastating effects. We are thankful for the long hours, dedication, and teamwork of all the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, as well as the overwhelming support of the Pipestone County Attorney's Office and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. From the start of this investigation in April of 2023 through today's sentencing more than three years later, this case required persistence, cooperation, and a shared commitment to justice. Jake Noland Northern's 240-month federal sentence sends a strong message that those who traffic fentanyl into Pipestone County and poison our community will be held accountable. We will not stop working to protect our citizens, support victims and families, and hold drug traffickers accountable."

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Pipestone County Sheriff's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Additional assistance was provided by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Fargo Police Department, the Globe Police Department (AZ), and the Mid-State Organized Crime Information Center.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans.