A former Dean of Academics at Little Big Horn College has been named a "ringleader" of a vast drug conspiracy connected to a cartel.

Frederica Lefthand, 52, of Lodge Grass, pleaded guilty on Aug. 23 to possession with intent to distribute meth and to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. She will be sentenced on Mar. 7, 2024.

Beginning in 2007, Lefthand served as the Dean of Academics at Little Big Horn College on the Crow Indian Reservation. From 2001 to 2007, she worked at Montana State University Bozeman as part of the Caring for Our Own Program, which helps to support Native nursing students.

Wendell Lefthand, Frederica's brother, also pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy. He was previously an adjunct professor at Little Big Horn College, according to his LinkedIn.

The evidence provided as part of a large indictment   which includes the Lefthands along with 14 others   "indicates that the Montana ring leaders of this drug enterprise were Wendell and Frederica Lefthand," according to a court document from a co-defendant's case.

A court document from another defendant's case describes Frederica Lefthand as "deep in the cartel's clutches."

The Lefthands are just two of around two dozen defendants facing charges for involvement in a large-scale, multi-state drug scheme centered on the Crow Indian Reservation, active from January 2022 through March 2023. The conspiracy operated in Billings, Hardin, Crow Agency, Wyola, Lodge Grass, Crow Indian Reservation, Lame Deer, and the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, as well as in Eastern Washington and Wyoming.

moar

Getting some Walter White vibes from this one

That’s a bad look.

The cartels wouldn’t have their foothold without the scum amongst us who are used as distributors. Having said that, I often wonder how much influence they actually have? Does it really only creep through the dregs, or does it go way higher up? I mean I know it goes higher, but how common place? Are there blue collar homes within earshot of damn near every person in the U.S. that are in bed with the cartels? Or is it more like a handful of small distribution networks that more or less only interact with the underbelly in each county with a population density to support such? Is it 10 times worse on the rez?

I hear it's a lot worse in the valley than people think.

In the documentaries I've seen the family members of those that go MIA off the Reservations have said tribal adminstrations know what's going on, in addition to this report.