SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Methamphetamine remains a significant drug problem in South Dakota, years after the state drew national attention for its 2019 “Meth. We’re on it” campaign.
This week, U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced federal prison sentences for two people convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in different parts of the state.
Ashley Mortimer, 39, of Lennox, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls area. Prosecutors say Mortimer operated for several months in early 2024 as a sub-distributor for a California-based drug trafficking organization. She purchased large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and resold the drugs locally. At sentencing, Mortimer was found to have distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
In a separate case, 35-year-old Dillon Big Eagle was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in central South Dakota. According to court records, the conspiracy began in January 2023 and continued through December 2023, involving distribution around central South Dakota, including the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations. Big Eagle distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine as part of the conspiracy.
State health data underscores the ongoing impact of meth use. According to the South Dakota Department of Health, methamphetamine was listed as the top substance involved in 46 percent of overdose deaths between 2020 and 2024. Opioids, including fentanyl, were also listed in 46 percent of overdose deaths during that period. Any stimulant, including methamphetamine, appeared in a majority of overdose deaths at 52 percent.
In Sioux Falls, the city’s most recent crime report showed methamphetamine and fentanyl contributing to a similar number of overdose deaths.
“There certainly has been a lot of attention with fentanyl, but meth is as big of a problem as it’s ever been,” then-Sioux Falls Police Department public information officer Sam Clemens told KELOLAND Media Group last year.
Meth use has been a long-standing concern across South Dakota. In 2019, the state’s “Meth. We’re on it” campaign sparked national debate. A year later, researchers at the University of South Dakota described the region as being stuck in a “meth bubble.” More recently, both the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe have declared states of emergency, citing the impact of meth and other drugs on their communities.
