Phoenix man sentenced to 9 years for selling meth on San Carlos Apache Reservation

A Phoenix man was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for selling methamphetamine multiple times on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in 2025, officials announced.

Eric Rope Jr., 41, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

The first drug-related incident tied to Rope’s sentencing occurred on Feb. 21, 2025. Tribal police responded to a report of an aggravated assault in which the victim sustained significant injuries. During the investigation, officers found methamphetamine at Rope’s residence and the weapon used in the assault in the bed of his truck, prosecutors said.

A week later, Rope called 911 and said that multiple people were unresponsive at a home. When police arrived at the residence, they found four men having drug overdoses. Two of them later died. While investigating, authorities determined that Rope had given drugs, including meth, to the men earlier the same evening. One of the victims also told investigators that Rope provided him with a white powdery substance, which he thought was cocaine, and experienced severe physical symptoms afterwards before losing consciousness.

However, the overdose deaths couldn’t be definitively tied to Rope’s drug distribution, prosecutors noted.

Following that incident, Rope briefly fled from tribal police on Mar. 19 after they tried to stop him as he was driving from Phoenix to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. After he stopped, his passenger ran into the desert with Rope’s backpack, which officers later recovered and found 369 grams of meth, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a pistol with no serial number inside. Additionally, a second firearm was found in Rope’s car.

Rope was arrested by tribal police and later transferred into federal custody.

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