SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A manager of a California and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization that supplied large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine to South Dakota has been sentenced to more than 23 years in federal prison.
Dejuan Croom, 43, of Los Angeles, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to federal prosecutors, from late 2023 through September 2024, Croom played a key role in an organization that transported drugs from California to the Sioux Falls area. The group shipped packages through the U.S. mail and used rental vehicles, often equipped with hidden compartments, to move drugs into South Dakota.
Investigators say the organization initially used local hotels as bases for distribution before transitioning to short-term rental properties.
Croom served in a managerial role under the direction of the organization’s leader, Quantiae Harris. Authorities say he drove drug-laden vehicles from California to Sioux Falls, helped distribute drugs to local sellers and deposited large amounts of drug proceeds into Harris’ bank accounts.
Earlier this month, Harris, 49, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a five-day trial.
Testimony showed Harris led a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills. Investigators say the group was also among the first to introduce powder fentanyl, a more potent and dangerous form of the drug, into the Sioux Falls market. Authorities say powder fentanyl has since become the predominant illegal opioid in the area.
“This was a major bust of a significant figure in the lurid underworld of illegal drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “In its pure powder form, it truly is a chemical weapon. If a member of your family used fentanyl in Sioux Falls over the past few years, this defendant is one of the primary drug dealers likely to have brought it here.”
Last fall three other men were sentenced for their roles in transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California into the Sioux Falls region.
Michael Thomas, 51, of Delano, California, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Prosecutors say Thomas helped direct a drug-trafficking operation while incarcerated in a California prison.
Investigators say Thomas coordinated large-scale shipments, sometimes up to 100 pounds of methamphetamine, using semi-trucks to transport drugs from California to Sioux Falls and other states, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama and West Virginia. In total, authorities estimate he helped organize shipments of 300 to 400 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 100,000 fentanyl pills.
Another defendant, Darrel Devorce, 56, was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Investigators say Devorce ran a large methamphetamine operation for about five years, sourcing drugs from California and directing deliveries to Sioux Falls while using financial apps and wire transfers to conceal proceeds.
In another case, William Soudap Somphanthabansouk, 29, of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
According to investigators, Somphanthabansouk received methamphetamine through the mail from California and distributed it in Sioux Falls and western Minnesota. In early 2025, law enforcement stopped him after he shipped a package to himself, discovering about 228 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun in his vehicle.
A search of his home later uncovered roughly 850 grams of methamphetamine and multiple guns. Investigators estimate he distributed around nine pounds of methamphetamine in the area.
