North Dakota Business Owner Sentenced in Major Federal Cocaine Trafficking Case

We hear about North Dakotans getting arrested for drug-related crimes from time to time, but we don't often hear that well-known and respected business owners were involved.

Unfortunately, that is the case here.

Barrett Clair Prody lived in the Fargo-Moorhead area for approximately four years; he originally is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

After moving to North Dakota, he opened a JT Cigarro's cigar bar and O'Leary's Irish Pub in Fargo.

The business owner was arrested back in April of 2024. His guilty plea made news reports in December of 2024.

According to Valley News Live, the DOJ (Department of Justice) stated that Prody distributed as much as 25 kilograms of cocaine, and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The source says he used some of that money to pay for a condo in Fort Lauderdale, and to rent an apartment in Medellin, Colombia.

The source says that Prody laundered money through his business accounts.

According to Justice.Gov, Rafael Mattei, DEA Special Agent (Omaha Division) said,

"Barrett Prody pushed a substantial amount of cocaine into Fargo and Moorhead, with little concern for the lives impacted and families destroyed by this poisonous product.

 

Mattei went on to say that individuals, like Prody are harmful to society.

"Traffickers like Prody only see personal gain, not individual human lives or the life-altering consequences that can come from drug use."

Prody was sentenced this week and was given 16 years. Following his prison sentence, he will have five years of supervised release.

Both of Prody's businesses are have been closed for several years.