SIOUX FALLS — U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced Friday that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced four people convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit money laundering. did.
Nathan Johnson, 39, of Denver, Colorado, pled guilty on June 17, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder financial instruments. He was sentenced to 36 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years. Supervised release and $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Mr. Johnson will be sentenced in September 2024.
Michelle Johnson, 48, of Steen, Minnesota, pled guilty on July 29, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder financial instruments. She was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years. Supervised release and $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. She will be sentenced in October 2024.
Jesse Richmond, 51, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded guilty on June 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder financial instruments. He was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years. Several years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment to the federal Crime Victims Fund. Richmond will be sentenced in September 2024.
Tony Hunter, 53, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded guilty on May 29, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release and special evaluation. Donate $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Hunter will be sentenced in September 2024.
Nathan Johnson, Michelle Johnson, Matthew Thomas, Jesse Richmond, and Tony Hunter were originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. A third superseding indictment was filed in May 2024, adding defendant Alfred Ciani.
From December 2022 to July 2023, the defendants named above, along with numerous other co-conspirators, transported large amounts of methamphetamine from California to Sioux Falls. Nathan Johnson, the ringleader of the conspiracy, was scheduled to travel from his home in Denver. , Colorado will meet with sources in Southern California. While there, Nathan Johnson received approximately 150 pounds worth of methamphetamine, which was further distributed to Denver, Colorado, and South Dakota.
While in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nathan Johnson distributed large amounts of methamphetamine to co-conspirators Jesse Richmond, Tony Hunter, and Michelle Johnson. Richmond, Hunter, and Michelle Johnson continued to distribute more methamphetamine throughout the Sioux Falls area and southwestern Minnesota.
The amount of methamphetamine involved was over 300 pounds, and over $450,000 in drug proceeds was laundered during the existence of this conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell said, “The decades-old sentences obtained so far reflect the seriousness of the crimes and the focus on focusing resources on criminals who choose to distribute dangerous materials within the state.” “This shows the tenacious efforts of each institution.” “We are grateful for the cooperation of more than a dozen federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and joint task forces, as well as out-of-state agencies, that allowed us to disrupt this network of drug traffickers. Hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs entered South Dakota. We are grateful to these dedicated men and women for the difficult investigative and prosecutorial work necessary to keep our communities safe. I feel lucky.”
“These texts should serve as a wake-up call to those involved in transportation and distribution.
methamphetamine into a community in South Dakota,” said Steve Bell, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Omaha Division. “These four individuals will serve a total of 119 years in federal prison. Each sentence should give the offenders ample time to consider the damage and destruction they have caused to so many lives.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the Rocky Mountain Field Division, Omaha Field Division, Mexico City Country Office, Los Angeles Field Division, and Special Operations Division), the South Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Regional Narcotics Task Force. . Special Committee, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation Team, El Paso Intelligence Center, and assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Minnehaha County U.S. Marshals Office, Sue Falls Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, Denver Police Department, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Worthington Police Department, Brookings Police Department, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force and Colorado Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
All four defendants were immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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