Watertown man found guilty for trafficking in fentanyl

A jury in Aberdeen convicted a Watertown man for Conspiracy to Distribute a ControlledSubstance. The substance was fentanyl.

United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced on Aug. 1 that a jury has convictedHeath Kelvin Hagen, 37, of Watertown, of Conspiracy to Distribute a ControlledSubstance, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, according to a release.

The charges carry a penalty of a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in custody and/or a$10 million fine, a mandatory minimum of five years of supervised release, and a $100 specialassessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Hagen was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023.

Hagen was part of a group of people who trafficked thousands of pills in the Northeastern part ofSouth Dakota. Hagen obtained the pills from Minneapolis and redistributed them to others, according to the release, primarily in Watertown and Sisseton. Witnesses identified Hagen as the biggest fentanyl dealer in Watertownfor a period of time in early 2022.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the South Dakota Division ofCriminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges and Special Assistant U.S. AttorneyMark Joyce prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for Oct. 21, 2024. Thedefendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Watertown man found guilty for trafficking in fentanyl