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Mpls. Man Accused Of Selling Heroin Gets 7 Years In Prison

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Minneapolis man convicted of selling heroin in the North Dakota oil patch has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Vincent Dionne pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver heroin, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Six other people are charged in the federal case.

Prosecutors say Dionne began dealing marijuana on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in early 2012, then started selling heroin when he saw the demand. He was arrested in central North Dakota in July 2013.

The government's sentencing memorandum asked for a sentence between 17 and 22 years in prison.

Defense attorney Charles Sheeley says Dionne is a father of seven children who had been an influential member of his community until he got hooked on drugs.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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