GAYLORD — A 43-year-old Rapid City man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Wednesday for his role in distributing fentanyl and heroin. The sentencing of Robert Graham Ward follows an investigation into a fatal drug overdose involving a 25-year-old man in early 2025.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced the sentence in Grand Rapids. The case began on Jan. 12, 2025, when first responders found a man dead at a hotel in Gaylord. A woman who was with the man cooperated with law enforcement, stating she had purchased the drugs from Ward the previous day.
Investigators used a witness to arrange a drug purchase from Ward under police supervision. When Ward arrived for the meeting, he was taken into custody. Police discovered several grams of heroin and fentanyl in his vehicle and later found more than 21 grams of fentanyl during a search of his Rapid City home…