ABERDEEN, S.D. — A 29-year-old Sisseton woman has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after sharing a fentanyl-laced pill that led to a woman’s death in Aberdeen.
According to court documents, Laycie Williams and the victim were socializing at a residence in the early morning hours of Feb. 26, 2023, when co-defendant Carlin Mellette arrived and provided Williams with three pills containing fentanyl.
Court documents state that both Williams and Mellette told the victim the pills were Percocet, not fentanyl. Williams then shared the pills with the victim, who ingested half of one pill and died from a fentanyl overdose.
“The heartbreaking reality is that many of its victims never intended to take it at all. The victim here took only half the intended dose in one of these illegal pills, manufactured to look like a prescription opioid, and that was the end of her life. One mistake, one counterfeit pill, one irreversible moment can bring death and destruction to any family, in any of our communities, at any time,” said United States Attorney Ron Parsons.
Williams and Mellette were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. Williams pleaded guilty on Oct. 21, 2024.
After her guilty plea, Williams was released on bond pending sentencing but failed to appear for her scheduled hearing on May 19, 2025. She was later indicted in June 2025 for failure to appear and pleaded guilty to that charge on Nov. 3, 2025.
Mellette pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and was sentenced in May 2025 to 25 years in federal prison.
Williams was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and four years for failure to appear. The sentences will be served consecutively, totaling 14 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
She was also ordered to pay $3,968 in restitution and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
